The Heartseekers
by BeeJay98
Summary: A story of young love. Join Annie and Amumu as they slowly move from their friendship to something more as they celebrate the Heartseeker Festival, a time for joy and happiness, but also an opportunity for darkness. Rates M because of some occasional dark and intimate scenes, but nothing too bad.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello kind people of the internet. Before you leap into the story that I have provided for you, just a little bit of personal context. Until a couple of months ago, I detested Fanfiction. However, I have been going through my final exams (I'm an Aussie in case you are wondering) and really needed a way to relax and let out a little of the built up stress. Then one of my friends put me onto Fanfiction and, although I claimed to be resolute in my beliefs, soon found myself engrossed in the brilliant stories around my favourite game; League of Legends. So, I decided that during my free time, I would just write some small drabbles about my OTP, Amumu x Annie. This drabble eventually turned into a 38k story... And that is only the start of the story that I have in my head for the young lovers. (Just as a side note, I am Bronze 3, so I suck pretty bad, but somehow manage to play tanks like a boss, which has resulted in me having a hyper-inflated norms ranking. One day I will get my ranked to that level, perhaps. Until then, I am an Amumu main.)**

 **So yeah, this is my first story and while I have tried to remove any errors along the way, I'm sure they'll inevitably happen. Please have mercy upon my soul! If you leave a comment, I will be ever so grateful. If you follow, I will love you forever (Although this story is 'technically' finished). If you favourite, you should probably re-read it because it shouldn't be that good!**

 **With regards to the story, I have absolutely no clue if the festival is actually called the Heartseeker festival, but it worked for the purposes of this story. If you want to think of it as something different, that's fine by me. There are some stories which are alluded to but not explored, which is mainly because I have another entire story behind those which I may or may not write about in the future. Don't hate on me please if I don't go into the specifics of some relationship or action, because there may be more to it than I was prepared to write about in this story.**

 **Anyway, that is probably enough from me. I should probably say, just as a disclaimer, that there are some mature themes towards the end. That being said, it is nothing incredibly vulgar (They are still young for petty's sake!). There may be some coarse language, but certainly not too fluently. I will leave another little comment at the end of the story, for all of you who like the sound of my voice. Also, I own squat. All the characters and places are property of Riot Games.**

 **See you on the other side!**

Chapter 1 - Peer Pressure

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Annie pulled at the bandages wrapped around her best friend. Amumu tried to pull away, but as the bandages were as much a part of him as his arms and legs, that proved incredibly difficult. Annie was giving him her big puppy dog eyes, determined to make him crack, and it was working. Amumu hated to see people upset, mainly because he knew better than anyone how devastating it can be, and that he could never be anything other than it. If he could, he would make everybody as happy as could be, and then still feel miserable afterwards because he could never make himself happy. Thus was the perpetual fall that was his curse. The only person who seemed to give him even the slightest semblance of hope was Annie, the only friend he had ever had. To this day he couldn't comprehend how they became so close, his curse quite literally ensured that he could have no friends. Annie was the single biggest mystery in his life, and when she made those beautiful puppy dog eyes, Amumu knew he could do nothing but agree to help her.

"Sure, fun, that's the word for it…"

"Mumu, you make everything sound so depressing! Try to look on the bright side, it is a festival, it is designed for people to have a good time!"

"Sounds like it'll be very crowded, people will probably keep walking into me."

"Argh, you are hopeless, you know that? It'll be an opportunity for us to be together outside of the Institute. How does that not sound good to you?"

Amumu sighed, admitting within himself that the idea certainly did take his interest. He couldn't quite come to terms with the idea of it being fun, but the idea of spending more time with Annie did make him feel a little warmer, which had to be a good sign.

"Ok, fine, I'll go."

"Not with that attitude you won't, if you are going to be my date, you have to sound like you want it." Amumu's eyes almost fell out of his head at that statement.

"Date? You said nothing about me being your date!"

"What did you think I meant silly, I'm inviting you to come with me, that makes you my date. What difference does it make?"

"All the difference! What if people hear? You know the other yordles couldn't possibly keep their mouths shut if they found out!"

"So what if they find out and tell people? You are my best friend Amumu, I'm happy for them to know you are my date." The warm feeling again spread throughout Amumu, removing his ability to decline. He gulped, then tried to come up with the best thing to say. There was an extended period of silence before he finally spoke.  
"Annie, I would love to come with you to the festival."

Annie sat bolt upright on the bed, looking at the mummy still lying next her.

"Did you just say the word love? I don't think I've ever heard you use that before…"

"Well, first time for everything then I guess." Annie smiled down at Amumu. Her bedroom was lightly furnished, with a very obvious pink colour scheme. While the walls were a simple white, the bed sheets, pillows and lampshades were all pink. The bed itself was nothing fancy, as were the small set of drawers and bedside tables, all of which were made from a dark oak. It wasn't very spacious, but was more than large enough for Amumu and her to hangout, and they frequently did. Technically it was against the Institute's regulations for male champions to enter the dorms of the female champions, but that didn't stop Amumu and Annie, who managed to always go unopposed. Sure they got caught every now and again, but most of the champions were more than wiling to overlook such a thing and not report it. This ultimately led to rumours about the two, which she frequently heard through her yordle connections, but most of the time she didn't really care. In fact, she almost wished some of the rumours were more true than they were.

"Thankyou so much for agreeing to do this, it really means a lot."

"Hey, it's just a festival, it could be worse." Annie looked away sheepishly, and Amumu caught on.

"It could be worse, right?"

"Promise you won't back out now? You will come, regardless of what I am about to say?" Amumu started to worry. He knew his friend's tendency for jokes at others expense, so when she sounded apologetic before even telling him, it couldn't be good. Not that he would back down, he said he'd go, and go he would.

"I promise…"

"Well, umm, it's sort of… kind of… It's the Heartseeker festival."

"Annie!" The pair blushed, the word 'date' suddenly taking on a completely different meaning. Amumu sat up, looking away from his friend, trying not to panic at what he had just heard.

"I'm only asking you as a friend, don't panic." This made Amumu calm down a little, the prospect of people seeing them as a couple still playing on his mind a little. Annie on the other hand felt a little disheartened at her comment. The idea of being able to celebrate the festival with somebody else was something she had always desired, but now she worried if she told Amumu that he'd back out. She sighed, realising she really wasn't that good at the whole romance thing.

"When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow, so you had better get ready." Annie chuckled a little bit at this, realising Amumu hated when things were left to the last minute. The mummy turned back to face his friend, an annoyed look overcoming his face.

"Why do you insist on making things hard for me?"

"Because I like it when you pull that face." Annie smiled innocently. Amumu, realising he really needed to pack, stood up and made his way towards the door.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

"I look forward to it." Amumu exited the room and Annie soon after could hear the faint _thunk_ as her main door was opened and closed. She knew she should be excited about the festival, but for some reason there was this nagging at the back of her mind.

"'I'm only asking you as a friend.' Argh, stupid, stupid Annie, of course you aren't asking as a friend!" She let her body fall backwards onto her bed, letting her limbs go lifeless as she tried to calm herself down. The Heartseeker festival cam around the same time each year, and every year there was a representative chosen by the league to attend the official ceremony in Ionia, while also promoting the festival through Demacia, Noxus and Piltover. It was a real honour to get chosen. Annie could still remember Varus getting chosen last year, he had really gotten into it, even managing to convince some of his marksmen friends to tag along as well. Nobody could ever forget that image of Varus dressed as cupid, no matter how hard they tried. This year it was Annie's turn, and while she was not going to be getting dressed up as cupid (Nobody wanted to see that in her opinion), she was determined to make it the best festival she had ever had. The festival itself ran over one week, the last day being the most spectacular with fireworks, concerts, and a whole manner of other romantic activities to celebrate the love in Valoran. Annie would leave the Institute one week early to promote the festival, and should arrive in Ionia the evening before the first day.

There was a knock at the door, interrupting Annie's calming thoughts. She got up and made her way towards the front door. Her bedroom opened up into the main living area, which really was nothing more than a couch and a fireplace. Annie often thought her room was too small. The only other rooms were her small bathroom which she could access from her bedroom, and a kitchen, consisting of little more than an oven, sink and fridge, which opened up into the main living are. But alas, this was her home. There was another knock on the door. Aside from Amumu, there was really only one other person who visited her, which is why she approached her door with caution, being sure to stand to the side as she opened it. Good thing too, as once the door was opened, an extremely energetic yordle jumped out of nowhere, clearly hoping to have tackled the pyromancer to the ground. Lulu sat up, realising she had missed her mark.

"You're no fun Annie!"

"Yeah, because getting knocked over by flying yordles is fun." The shared a laugh before heading into the main living area. Lulu sat on the couch, puling her legs up with her and laying down. Thankfully she was small, so there was still room for Annie to sit next to her.

"So, did you ask Amumu?"

"Yeah, and he agreed to go." Lulu beamed at this, throwing her arms in the air.

"That's great news! See, I told you he'd want to go."

"I told him we were just going as friends."

"What?! Why did you do that!?"

"He wouldn't have agreed to go otherwise!" Annie put her face in her hands, trying not to get annoyed at herself. Annie had originally asked Lulu to go with her, but she had refused, insisting she ask Amumu instead. Lulu sat up and put her arm around Annie's shoulders.

"Hey, it's not the end of the world, you now have two weeks with him to win his heart!"

"Lulu, I don't even know if he is capable of feeling attraction, let alone towards me. Maybe we are better off going as friends." Lulu gave her a soft slap with her free hand, getting Annie's attention.

"Don't you dare say that! You are a beautiful young lady, and Amumu couldn't possibly resist you. Trust me, I know you can get him if you try." Lulu stood up.

"Anyway, sorry about the short visit, I really just wanted to know how things went down with Amumu. You haven't seen Veigar around by any chance?" Annie was a little stumped by this question. The tiny mastermind of evil was never seen by anybody, often choosing to take routes few people knew about. In addition, nobody ever really wanted to look for him, what with him being the mastermind of evil.

"Umm, no, why are you looking for him?" Lulu blushed a little, smiling at Annie.

"No reason. Enjoy your trip!" And with that the yordle shot out of the room, shouting Veigar's name as she ran down the hall.

 _Two weeks to win his heart…_

Annie kept replaying the one line through her head again and again. She began to feel a new sense of hope rushing through her. Maybe two weeks would be what it takes.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - The Journey Begins

The Institute was empty. It had been agreed upon amongst the summoners that any festivals celebrated throughout all of Valoran or in a champion's homeland would be sufficient reason for that champion to have some time off to return home. Annie and Amumu, not really having any homes to return to, were some of the last remaining champions to leave the Institute. Even Lulu, who had been exiled from her home, claimed she had somewhere to stay.

"I'll tell you all about it at the festival, don't worry."

"Wait, you are travelling to Ionia for the celebrations?"

"Of course I am, I wouldn't miss it for the world! I love fireworks!" Annie smiled as she remembered the conversation while waiting for Amumu to show up out the front portal room. Although the jump to Demacia would take next to no time, the pair had agreed to arrive a little early so they could double check everything. But as Annie checked the clock on the nearby wall, she realised that the plan was not going to work, the pair now five minuted behind schedule.

 _This isn't like Amumu to be late; I hope he didn't have second thoughts…_ Annie pondered this while observing the portal room. If it were to be described in one word, it would be _clean_. The walls were a creamy white, as were the portal stands and steps. The room was massive, consisting of portals to every major region in Valoran, with a massive glass window adorning one of the walls, overlooking the great gardens of the Institute.

There was a the sound of frantic footsteps, and a very flustered Amumu came bolting around the corner, bag in hand as he tripped on one of his bandages and landed face first at Annie's toes. Unable to help herself, she started laughing as Amumu gingerly got back to his feet.

"Mumu, you need to be more careful. Why are you late anyway?"

"Oh, packing took longer than I thought." Annie could tell immediately that it was a lie, but decided not to press the issue as one of the male summoners in charge of the portal room came over to help them organise their luggage.

"Do you have any unauthorized items to submit for processing?"

"I didn't even realise there were unauthorized items."

"Well, when the people you are transporting include Vel'koz and Kogmaw, you can never be too careful. Please step right this way." Annie and Amumu stepped onto the slightly raised platform with bags in hand.

"Have a safe trip, and enjoy the festivities." The summoner wished cheerfully as blue light began to surround the duo, and soon there was a tugging sensation in the back of Amumu's head as his vision went dark. This lasted for no more than a second before he found himself standing on an identical platform, except this time in a room laden with blue and gold banners and furnishings. This room was much smaller, only having the one portal, but the antique furnishings and colour schemes made it feel much older. Waiting for the two was a familiar face.

"It took you two long enough! Jarven told me that the two of you were coming today, but I completely forgot to ask what time. It feels like I've been waiting here for hours." Shyvana smiled as she approached the two, leaning over and embracing them in her strong arms.

"It's good to see you Shyvana. How are things in Demacia?"

"Much the same I suppose, although there is some excitement over the festival." Shyvana had a lean figure, but was deceptively strong, lifting all the bags over her shoulder and making her way towards the exit without breaking stride. The Demacian portal was located adjacent to the guest wing inside the grand palace, which seemed a little odd at first until Shyvana explained.

"Almost all of the Demacian champions are royalty or are acquaintances of the royal family, so they are always welcome to stay within the palace. Eventually, all the champions chose to stay here, close to our friends, so they built the portal here too to save an unnecessary journey. Often this guest quarters are empty and we stay at the Institute, but it does get quite busy when festivals role around." The trio walked through the palace halls, passing an assortment of rooms, most of which Annie assumed were being used by other champions. As if in answer, one of the doors shot open and Annie found herself lifted into the air by a very enthusiastic Quinn.

"Annie! I'm so glad you are here, Vayne and I were just talking about you…" Quinn grabbed Annie's arm and half pulled, half dragged her into her room, shutting the door behind her, leaving Amumu and Shyvana alone in the hall. Shyvana sighed.

"Well, guess it's just you and me then little guy."

"What was that all about?"

"I have absolutely no idea, Quinn and I don't really see eye to eye. I'll show you to your room, then come back and get Annie to show her. Your rooms are across from each other, so there shouldn't really be any problem with getting lost." Shyvana and Amumu took another couple of turns before Shyvana stopped, opened one of the doors, and led Amumu inside. The room was again predominately blue and gold, but with a large window adorning the far wall overlooking the capital of Demacia. Amumu hadn't realised exactly how high up they were, but now he could see all the way over the city's walls to the forests that lied beyond. The view was truly breathtaking. The room was itself pretty simple, consisting of a small wardrobe, a bed, and what Amumu assumed was a bathroom behind the only other door in the room. Shyvana put Amumu's bag at the end of his bed, before leaving the way she'd came, offering Amumu a smile as she did. Amumu decided to leave the stuff in his bag; they were only staying for two days, what was the point of taking everything out just to put it back in again? He did take one thing out of his bag, a small gift, neatly wrapped in pink paper with a small gold bowtie around it. He wasn't good at the whole romance and festival thing, but he hoped he had chosen something nice for Annie. Putting the gift safely back in his bag, he laid back on his bed, and soon he let his mind drift off, the portal jump having taken more out of him than he realised.

Meanwhile Annie found herself sitting on Quinn's bed while her and Vayne tried to catch her up on most of the gossip they had heard upon returning to Demacia.

"Also, word is that Lux is heading to Piltover sometime over the next couple of days to see Ezreal, not that anyone is surprised by that one, but apparently Garen doesn't approve."

"I disagree, while he is concerned about her welfare, I think Garen has been waiting to get some time away from his sister. I think he has somebody."

"What! What aren't you telling me, spill it Quinn." Annie watched the two argue with mild amusement and envy. While her and Amumu were the closest of friends, gossip really wasn't his thing, so it had been some time since Annie had simply been able to listen to the careless exchange of other's private lives. Was it right to enjoy it this much, probably not, but Annie really didn't mind.

"Anyway, Annie, we need you to settle something for us."

"Yeah, we have a little competition going, whichever one of us guesses the most couples and how far those couples go by the end of the Heartseeker festival is allowed to force the loser to do anything they desire."

"And the word around town is that you and Amumu may be going somewhere." Annie blushed, realising now why she had been invited.

"So, come on, what is it with you two? Are you a couple, friends, did he reject you or something?" Annie sighed. How many other people would have heard about her and Amumu by now, and how many of them would have similar questions to ask her? Even scarier, how many people were assuming something was going on when nothing had happened yet? Annie decided it was best to just tell the truth.

"I invited him as a friend, there's nothing more to say."

"Ha, told you Quinn, there isn't anything going on between them."

"Please, look at her face, there isn't anything there at the moment, but she certainly wants there to be. I think they can do it." Annie's heart almost leapt out of her chest at those words. Quinn was normally a really good judge of character, so for her to have such confidence in Annie was very encouraging. She smiled, but Quinn gave her a cheeky look, clearly not being done.

"In fact, I think they'll go all the way." Annie stopped smiling, her face turning a very bright shade of red. Vayne started laughing, not helping the embarrassed state Annie found herself in.

"You're crazy! She barely looks like she could have started puberty, let alone do that."

"You sell her too short, she is clearly passionate about this, I think it'll happen. And she is so old enough, look at her." Vayne looked Annie over, her wandering eyes sending shivers down Annie's spine. She subconsciously pulled her chest in, trying to minimize the impact the observation would have. Vayne just smiled.

"I'm not convinced, do you think you could do it Annie?" There was a knock on the door, saving Annie from further torture. Shyvana's voice was heard from outside.

"Ok girls, hand her over, she's just been through the portal and you know how much that drains your energy." The pair reluctantly wished Annie goodbye.

"We'll see you at dinner anyway. And don't think you have gotten away with not answering us, we want an answer." Annie hurried out the door, following Shyvana closely and not looking back at the two chuckling women behind her. Eventually they arrived at the two doors.

"That door there is yours, and that one is Amumu's." Shyvana pointed at the two doors respectively. Annie gave Shyvana before opening her door and heading inside. When Annie could no longer hear Shyvana's footsteps, she went back outside and straight across to Amumu's room, knocking on his door. She could hear movement inside and eventually the door opened revealing Amumu standing in the doorframe.

"Hey Annie, what happened with Quinn?" Annie blushed slightly, remembering what had happened.

"We just talked and caught up. Mind if I come in?" Amumu stepped aside so she could step into his room. She noticed that the room was the same in terms of contents to Quinn's and hers, as were probably every room in the guest quarters. She went over and collapsed on his bed, suddenly feeling very exhausted. She could feel her eyes trying to close on her, but forced them open so as not to embarrass Amumu by falling asleep on his bed. He seemed to notice this.

"Annie, maybe you should just get some sleep, you look exhausted."

"But I've hardly spent time with you today, and I figured I'd get to spend more time with you over the festival." The warm feeling spread through Amumu's body again, clouding his judgement as he once again pondered his feelings towards Annie. He walked over and offered her a hand off his bed, pulling her to her feet. She looked so tired, her eyes partly closed and her shoulders slumped, but Amumu seemed to find her kind of alluring in this state. Spontaneously, he hugged her. Any feeling of fatigue Annie had been feeling instantly vanished as Amumu wrapped his arms around her. He felt warm, and for the first time, she could feel his heart beating. For some time she wasn't even sure if he had a heart, but now she could feel it, or at least feel something.

 _Maybe there is hope yet_. Amumu let her go, and stepped back looking a little bashful.

"You really should go rest, we can always spend time together later." Annie was too speechless to respond; instead she nodded her head, offered a warm smile, and exited the way she had come in. Once back in her own room, Annie was far too distracted to even consider sleeping, so instead decided she should take a shower and then hope she could bring herself to rest. The bathroom was nothing spectacular, but had all the essentials. A toilet was positioned in the far corner with a sink and mirror on the opposite wall. Just to the right of the entrance was a small shower, which looked like it would barely fit a man the size of Garen. Walking over to the sink, she turned on the water, being greeted by the refreshing coolness of the liquid as she splashed it over her face. Annie then turned on the shower, then went back to see if she had some nicer clothes to wear. As much as she loved her traditional outfit, a purple-pink dress with matching socks, even she had to admit she was getting a little old for the look. She had decided to keep with the pink theme, but this time with a pair of comfortable jeans to accompany a simple pink shirt. It wasn't really her style, but decided it looked more appropriate than her previous get-up. Laying the clothes out on her bed, she returned to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She had always thought she looked rather aggressive, her nose and eyes a little too pointed, the green of her irises a tad too sharp, her hair too dark. But while her younger self would look at this image and be proud of it, proud of how intimidating she could be, the current her just wished she could look more… beautiful.

She took her top off, looking at her body with a critical eye. Every time she did this, she could see the changes happening to her body. She felt her hips a tad more defined, her breasts a tad larger. As she took off her pants, she could see the light covering of red hair around her lower regions. When your job involved killing people repeatedly, you mature very quickly, so Annie was very aware why and how these things were happening to her. As much as she had scorned the prospect a while ago, even she had to go through puberty. But while she could explain these physical changes, there were some things she couldn't explain, primarily why her feelings towards Amumu had changed. They had been best friends for years, and she loved to just be with him, to be able to confide in him. But now, that wasn't enough anymore. Amumu was changing too, not that many people other than Annie would have noticed. He was a little taller, the limbs beneath his bandages seemed to be larger, and overall he just seemed so much more… masculine. Annie shook herself out of this state, turning her attention back to her shower, which her body welcomed with open arms. Once done, she got dressed in the new clothes, and laid back on her bed, and soon she drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - A Demacian Dinner

It was Shyvana that eventually woke Annie up, her voice from the hall announcing that dinner would be on soon. Still very lethargic, Annie pulled herself into the bathroom and attempted to straighten out her hair, regretting not having dried it properly after her shower. When she was finally convinced it looked slightly tamed, she opened the door and met Shyvana. She raised an eyebrow at the new-look Annie.

"You trying something new there dear?"

"I thought that maybe my old clothes were a little too out dated." Amumu opened his door and stepped into the hallway, stopping and staring at Annie.

"Umm, did I miss something?"

"Turns out Annie feels that her old style is out dated. Anyway, Jarven and the others will be waiting if we take much longer, and it's never a good idea to keep the prince from his feast." Shyvana led the way towards the grand hall, the two younger champions in tow. Amumu leant over and whispered to Annie.

"What was wrong with your old style?"

"I thought that maybe it was a little childish. I'm growing up, some things need to change."

"Oh, yeah, of course." Although he feigned understanding, Amumu's face told a very different story. The prospect of change was never a positive one for him, often finding he drew the short straw in any changes. What else did Annie find childish, was their friendship childish in her opinion? Amumu found himself worrying, which although frequent for the cursed mummy, greatly dampened his attitude.

Shyvana approached a set of large, ornate doors, placing both hands on the ancient wood and pushing them open. The sounds of excited chatter filled their ears, the noise loud yet welcoming. It seemed as though almost all of the Demacian champions had turned out to the feast, splitting themselves by gender along the two long tables, striking Annie as ironic given the Heartseeker festival. Annie went over to join Lux, Vayne and Quinn, who were talking at the head of the table on the left while enjoying the soft melodies Sona was playing over the top. Fiora sat a little further up the table, distancing herself from the others, while Kayle and Poppy were having their own conversation, soon joined by Shyvana as well. Amumu went to join his own table, being waved over by Jarven.

"Amumu, come, sit with us." He patted the seat next to him, and Amumu awkwardly sat there, not use to the royal company. Unlike the female table which seemed to be a little divided, all the guys sat together, drinking heartily. All that is except Galio, who simply smiled and laughed, not offering many words. Lucian was leaning on the shoulder of Xin Zhao, a crooked smile on his face while he fought the effects of the alcohol. Taric, Garen and Jarven had been having a laugh at Xin's expense when Amumu came and sat down. Lucian seemed to have a thought once he saw Amumu sit down.

"Say, it is rude not to welcome new company. Let's have another drink." Lucian raised his empty glass in the air, losing his balance and toppling backwards, falling of Xin and onto the floor. Quinn and Lux couldn't help but laugh, although Vayne just looked a little embarrassed.

"You have had quite enough my friend." Xin offered his hand to the purifier who, after a couple of missed attempt, clasped hands with the steward and was lifted back up onto the chair. His head slowly fell forward onto the table, and a soft snore escaped his mouth.

"Lucian never was good with the drink, apologise for the scene Amumu. How have you faired recently."

"Well, same old I guess." Garen scoffed at this.

"You seem to have found a date for the Heartseeker festival despite having a curse that prevents you having friends, I'd say things aren't exactly the same as always." Amumu just shrugged, showing he had as little clue as to how it happened as the Crownguard warrior.

"Well, on behalf of Demacia, we are glad to welcome you to our city, and we hope that your stay will be an enjoyable one."

Meanwhile on Annie's table, the conversation was focussed heavily on Lux.

"You're going to Piltover! Have you told Garen, you know he won't approve of you heading there." Quinn said, shock and excitement in her voice.

"Please, he needs to learn he doesn't control my life. Ezreal has invited me and I will go, irrelevant of my brother's opinion." It had been no secret Lux's relationship with Ezreal, almost every champion, interested or otherwise, had heard at least some stories. The two were poster-children for their families and cities, each seemingly innocent and kind-hearted in nature. For Lux to willingly stay with Ezreal over the festival would put some of this into question, and likely earn the disapproval of a certain few, her family for one, especially her brother who would do anything to preserve Lux's image. Annie was fascinated by the politics behind such a relationship, surely if the two were in love they should be able to pursue that without the concern of their family? It was times like this Annie was glad she wasn't directly affiliated with any of the larger cities, too much hassle.

"Well, you definitely got balls my dear." Vayne responded bluntly, taking another swig from her drink. Unlike her friend Lucian, Vayne had a lot of experience keeping her drinking in check, and she could still feel the red tinge on her cheeks after her 'friend' had collapsed and made such a scene. Luckily nobody on the table knew about her and Lucian, so the questions were spared.

"Mmm, anyway, enough about me, my relationship is old news. So Annie, could you?" Lux asked with a knowing grin, Quinn and Vayne letting out a set of light giggles, obviously having filled her in on the earlier conversation. Annie pretended to take a deeper interest in the drink in front of her (non-alacaholic, of course), but the blood rushing through her face betrayed her. Lux just smiled, checking the clock hanging on the far wall.

"Oh shit, I've stayed too long, I'll miss my ride to Piltover at this rate." She sculled the last of her drink, offering warm hugs with all her friends at the table, including Annie, before rushing towards the far door.

She didn't make it there however. Seeing Lux's rush to leave, Garen had stood up and rushed to cut her off.

"Garen, please, I'm running late, get out of my way."

"Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"I'm heading to Piltover to be with Ezreal if you must know" Garen's face grew a lot darker.

"Like hell you are. There is no way I am trusting you and that blonde-haired prick to be together over the festival."

"When will you realise I want this Garen! Anything him and I do together I want, and you are not going to stop that. Now please, move aside." Lux didn't wait for him to move however, pushing past her brother who stood there looking a little shocked. It wasn't until after Lux had slammed the large doors behind her that he realised how quiet the room was. Even Sona had stopped playing her music, everybody eavesdropping on the siblings conversation, except Lucian who was still very much asleep. As if to testify to this, he let out a loud snore, waking up and realising how silent the room was.

"Huh, what did I miss?" This was enough to break the tension in the room, and a little bit of laughter escaped into the air. Sona resumed her music while Lucian looked around confused.

"No seriously, what happened?" He kept asking, but nobody was game to explain it. Garen walked back to the table but didn't sit, instead leaning over to Jarven, whispering something in his ear before exiting through one of the back doors. Jarven was smiling a little at the words Garen had offered, but shook his head slightly dismissing his thoughts.

"Well, Lux certainly seems confident." Jarven attempted to start a conversation, not realising how quickly that would backfire.

"Somebody could learn a thing or two from her." Came the voice of Shyvana behind them. Jarven jumped in his chair, having not noticed her presence. He stammered a little at her presence, as if trying to formulate words but falling short every time. Amumu was a little confused, leaning over to ask Xin what that meant.

"Shyvana has been waiting for Jarven to make a move for some time now, so best keep the questions to a minimum. This is the first time she has actually said anything about it as far as I know, so it could get awkward." Amumu nodded in understanding, looking at the now very flustered Jarven who was still struggling to come up with words. Shyvana was wearing a somewhat displeased face, her arms crossed as she stared at the cornered prince. If it weren't for the faint curling of her lips, Amumu would be worried Shyvana would jump on Jarven if he failed to answer. Eventually Jarven just sighed and offered a weak response.

"Can we please talk about this later?" Shyvana let out a groan, and exited the way Garen had gone earlier. Xin raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"Yeah, I know, I'm going after her." Jarven stood up and followed with a hurried pace.

"Funny as it may seem, off all the people on this table, you seem to be the most romantic Amumu." Galio finally spoke, his voice deep but calming. Amumu frowned a little at this comment.

"I can't even feel love, so I find that very hard to believe." Xin raised an eyebrow at this.

"I was under the impression you and Annie were together, my apologise." Xin offered, but Galio just laughed at Amumu's comment.

"I think you let this curse dictate you too much. Surely even you have felt love before, the sweaty palms and butterflies when you are in their presence."

"The uncontrollable desire to do anything for them" Xin offered.

"The warmth that spreads through your body whenever you hear their voice." This caught Amumu's attention, knowing very well this feeling. The idea of him being able to love was preposterous; his entire being was designed to counter such emotions. But he could not deny the words of Galio or how he felt, could he? Amumu felt a headache brewing.

"Well, that was a little awkward." Quinn said, a little unsure how to react to Garen's outburst. Vayne just shrugged.

"We knew it was coming, Garen can be as blind as Lee Sin sometimes." A grunt from up the table caught the trio's attention. Fiora stood, glaring at Vayne a little.

"You would do well to respect Monsieur Crownguard, unlike some people, he prioritises the respect of his family." Her heavy French accent gave her an almost mocking tone, visibly getting to Vayne, who stood up, matching Fiora's glare with her own.

"Don't talk to me about family pride, I spend every minute of my days avenging their deaths."

"Yet you put little time into rebuilding your family's name. What use is vengeance if the lineage ends with you." Vayne slammed her fist on the table, spilling over her drink.

"House Vayne will endure!"

"With who? Do you expect to rebuild your family with someone like that?" Fiora pointed at the once again sleeping Lucian, causing Vayne to blush profusely. She growled, baring her teeth at the Laurent.

"And what about you Madame Laurant? You telling me you have a way to regain your family's respect? What was it your father was caught doing, oh that's right, cheating?" Fiora just smiled.

"I think that maybe a new alliance is in order, Lightshield and Laurent perhaps." Vayne laughed viciously.

"Bullshit you and Jarven have a chance, there's kind of somebody called Shyvana, heard of her you idiot?"

"You mean the monster that is putting unnecessary pressure on Jarven? I think I can handle her." Fiora offered a malicious smile before leaving through the main door, offering a wink to Vayne before closing the door behind her. Vayne breathed a small sigh of relief as she noticed the rest of the champions had kept to their conversations this time. She looked over at Lucian, wanting to be angry at the drunk man drooling over the table, but she couldn't bring herself to be. Quinn noticed the look on her face and gave Vayne's hand a little squeeze to bring her back to the room.

"Fiora's just a bitch, don't worry too much about what she says."

"I know she's a bitch, but what she says is correct. I bring dishonour to my family." Vayne had tears in the corners of her eyes, staring at the door. Annie could only look o in sympathy at the Demacian champion. She had heard the stories of Vayne's family, but hadn't quite grasped how much that meant within Demacian society, the way your family was your title, your badge of honour.

"Hey, come on, let's get Lucian to his room." Quinn offered to her friend, walking over to Lucian and lifting his arm over her shoulder. The purifier didn't even stir, much to Quinn's displeasure as his weight brought her to her knees. Vayne rushed over grabbing his other side and lifting his other arm over her shoulder, the two finally managing to hold him up.

"Annie, could you please come with us, we will need someone to open his door." Annie nodded, following the two towards the door, before looking back trying to meet Amumu's eyes.

"Go talk to him, we won't be going anywhere quickly." Quinn smiled at Annie, who nodded her thanks and rushed off to see her friend, who currently had his face buried in his hands, mumbling about how his head hurt.

"Mumu, are you ok?" Annie asked worried, she hadn't seen anything that had happened, but Amumu was clearly a little distressed.

"I'm just, a little confused I guess. What are you up to? You going somewhere?"

"Yeah, we're going to take Lucian back to his room, he has drunk a little bit too much." Xin and Galio both laughed at this.

"A little bit? That's an understatement!" Xin offered with a hearty laugh. Even Annie found herself smiling at the steward's comment.

"Anyway, do you want to stop by later tonight? I still feel like we haven't talked much." Annie discretely crossed her fingers behind her back, really wanting to see him. Amumu on the other hand had a conflicted look over his face, which Annie couldn't quite understand.

"I think I'll just head to my room Annie."

"Well, I could come by your room then if that's better."

"I think I'd rather just have some time alone." Annie didn't think her heart could sink this much, her entire body felt like it was drained of energy as she look at her friend turn his head away from her.

"Oh, well, I'll see you tomorrow then." Annie ran off quickly, hoping that nobody would see the tears beginning to well up.

Amumu already felt horrible for how he'd treated Annie, watching as she ran out the door. He didn't mean to sound so cold, but right now with his confusion around how he felt towards her and the resulting headache, which hurt a lot more than he expected, he just wasn't up to spending time with her tonight. He wanted to, but he knew he'd just be cold and in pain, not what Annie was after. Xin and Galio had quietened down a little after what Amumu had done, both a little anxious towards the un-dead yordle. The night pressed on in much the same manner, Kayle and Poppy conversing oblivious to everything else, Sona playing her beautiful music, Galio and XIn in conversation and Amumu fighting against his migraine. Sona retired first, and as things began to feel too quiet, others began to clear out. Galio was the next to leave, floating over to Amumu before exiting.

"Annie will be alright, don't get too worked up over that. Just, whatever you feel, it'd be better for both of you if you knew." With that he was gone, exiting through the main doors. Amumu was now just exhausted, taking his leave from Xin Zhao and returning to his room. He began to open the door before looking back at Annie's. He could apologise, could try to make things better and see her, that was what she wanted, and Amumu did try to make her happy. The warmth spread through his body once again at the idea, which in turn spiked the migraine back into action, and he decided he'd fix it tomorrow, instead choosing to collapse on his own bed and fall asleep almost instantly.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Repercussions

 _I miss my own bed._ This was the only thought Annie was able to muster in her fatigue-ridden state when she woke up the next morning. She had slept through the night easily enough, but for some reason she had woken up dreary eyed and lacking an awful lot of energy. Although Annie didn't really want to think about it, she knew she was still feeling the effects of Amumu's words from the night before, his voice playing around in her head over and over. Checking the time, she was astonished to realise not only had she slept well, but she had slept in, and breakfast would be on very soon. As if on cue, there came a knock on the door.

"Annie, breakfast will be on soon, you'd better make your way down." Shyvana said before Annie heard her walking off in the direction of the hall. Annie hastily dressed, slipping on pretty much the same thing she had worn the night before, changing tops after realising the one from yesterday had some tear stains on it. She hastily exited her room and started down the hall before considering knocking on Amumu's door to see if he was in, but decided she wasn't quite ready to face him yet. As she made her way towards the hall, a very hung-over Lucian joined her. He attempted a smile, but cringed at the use of his facial muscles.

"Hey Annie, I don't remember you arriving, how are you?" His attempt at small talk brought a smile to Annie's face, the usually strong man in front of her clearly feeling terrible but trying to hide it.

"Yeah, I guess I'm ok. I arrived yesterday, and we did meet yesterday." Lucian hung his head at this.

"I'm sorry, I lost control last night. Umm, you don't happen to know if Vayne was there?" Annie nodded. Lucian muttered something under his breath which sounded oddly like 'shit', before rubbing his head in his hands.

"Well, I screwed up apparently. That's the last time I drink in a long time." They arrived at the open doors to the hall and went their separate ways, Lucian making his way towards a rather annoyed looking Vayne while Annie claimed a seat by herself. She watched Lucian for a little bit longer, feeling a little sorry for the purifier. She felt even more sorry for him when, upon greeting Vayne, she slapped him straight across the face. The smack was incredibly loud, and a few 'oohs' could be heard from the surrounding champions, who looked at the stunned Lucian in sympathy. He gently rubbed his cheeks, then shrugged, announcing a little louder to everybody else.

"Well, I probably deserved that one." This solicited a chuckle from most of the company, and lightened the mood in general. Even Vayne laughed a little, and once everybody had returned to their business, embraced the purifier, holding him very close to her.

"Now that is pretty sweet if you ask me." Quinn came and sat next to Annie, carrying with her a plate of eggs and bacon, which she offered to Annie. Annie accepted, feeling the need to re-energise.

"Did you know Vayne spent almost the whole night with him? She refused to let the poor sod out of her sight until she was convinced he'd be ok. She may not look it, but I know she barely got any sleep last night." Annie took a closer at Vayne, and did indeed notice the slight bagginess under her eyes, contrasting to her currently positive personality. Annie looked around the room at the others gathered. Most of the people from last night had gathered already, even Fiora, Jarven and Shyvana were here. Lux obviously wasn't, but curiously neither was her brother Garen.

"What happened to Garen?"

"Funny story, apparently he informed Jarven he would not be staying with us for the remainder of the holiday and took his leave from the palace sometime last night. Not entirely sure where he is going either, I just really hope he isn't planning on ruining Lux's time in Piltover." Annie nodded, the news certainly interesting. In spite of the outburst last night, Garen was usually quite calmed and collected, one of the many qualities that made him a brilliant general. Given this, Annie found it very hard to believe he would rush off to Piltover on a whim to stop his sister seeing Ezreal. It just didn't seem like him.

Annie again skimmed the room, then realised she had forgotten one other person.

"Where's Amumu?" Quinn looked at the young girl with sad eyes. Annie had told her and Vayne what Amumu had said, and it hadn't taken any interrogating to see that Annie was really brought down over it. As much as Quinn wanted to help their relationship, she really wasn't that close with either of them, and if she was honest, had no idea what their relationship was really like at the moment. She resolved instead just to try and be as supportive as possible.

"I haven't seen him this morning, he is probably just sleeping in. Didn't you say he had a headache last night?" Annie nodded, not really paying full attention to the scout's words. Thinking of Amumu again brought back that horrible sinking feeling, and she was desperately thinking of something else to say, she looked at Quinn, wondering if she had ever felt this low. Suddenly a thought hit her, and decided to pursue save she continue to think about Amumu.

"Say, where is Valor? I haven't seen you with him at all." Quinn gave off a beaming smile, rejoicing in the fact somebody had finally noticed.

"I've been waiting for somebody to ask! Well, as you know he is quite intelligent for a bird, and even he wanted to celebrate the Heartseeker festival! So, I let him go on his way, seeking out a mate. He said he'd return to me after the festival, and don't look at me like that, I'm not crazy! He actually said that." Annie hadn't realised she had been so overtly mocking until Quinn pointed it out. As much as Quinn assured everybody that Valor was an intelligent animal capable of a variation of speech, it was very hard to believe. Not only this, but now Quinn was convinced Valor was celebrating the Heartseeker festival, which was even harder to believe. Quinn seemed happy though, so Annie was willing to drop her disbelief. The two sat in silence while Annie ate, Vayne eventually leaving Lucian and joining them.

"You two seem to have made up pretty quickly."

"Shut up Quinn" Vayne said, smiling. Jarven was the next one to join them, seeking out Annie.

"Do you know where Amumu is? I have your itinerary for the day, but was hoping to catch both of you so as not to repeat myself."

"I'm not sure where he is, but I can fill him in." Jarven looked at her, concern brushing over his face before being dismissed. He pulled out a piece of paper covered in instructions.

"Well, you will start the day in the main square with the general population, most of them will be looking for signatures, but the odd one will simply want to see you and Amumu." He drew emphasis to the last part, emphasizing the expectation of the two as a couple. Jarven saw the look in Annie's eyes, understanding her concern.

"It's the Heartseeker festival, this is what they expect my dear. Anyway, the Laurant household have invited all the champions of the league from Demacia, including you two, over for lunch. After that, you will have free time to enjoy the city, although you may want to consider packing as you travel to Noxus quite early tomorrow. Dinner will be back here at the same time as yesterday." Jarven nodded and took his leave, taking the long way around the table, avoiding the place where Shyvana sat, watching him.

"I'd better go find Amumu, we will have a long day ahead of us." Annie left, walking down the hall towards her room, but was quickly caught by Shyvana. Annie looked up at the half-dragon, seeing that her eyes looked a little bloodshot, as though she had been crying.

"Annie, have you got a moment to talk?"

"Of course, what's wrong?" Shyvana awkwardly grabbed her upper arm, whatever she was about to say clearly embarrassing her a little.

"Umm, well, it's about Jarven. We kind of had a bit of a fight last night, and I'm not sure I can go to the Laurant house today, not when _she_ will be there as well." Shyvana's lips curled up a little as she snarled at the mere thought of Fiora, but soon remembered her company and shook herself out of her state.

"Anyway, I was just wondering if maybe you could tell him. I don't feel ready to face him yet."

"Of course, but I still feel you should come. Don't worry about Fiora, I don't think she has much of a chance with Jarven, he really seems to like you."

"If he really liked me, he would have acted by now." Shyvana tried to hold it together, but tears started to fill her eyes, and soon she found herself weeping into her hands as Annie tried to console her.

"I messed up Annie. I waited so long for him to make the move, but he was too shy to do it. I waited too long and missed my chance. I'm afraid he's lost interest, damned be my stupid pride." Annie pulled Shyvana's hands away and looked her in the eyes.

"Don't pull yourself down, he likes you, and you have not messed up. Come today, and you'll see, he isn't interested in Fiora." Shyvana attempted to pull herself together, but it wasn't very convincing. Annie gave her a quick hug.

"You better go back to your room and freshen up. I'll see you this afternoon?"

"Yeah, maybe, I'll think about it." Shyvana walked off in the other direction towards her room while Annie continued on her way. Eventually she stood out the front of Amumu's room, her fist hovering an inch away from his door.

"Why is this so hard…" Annie scolded herself, trying to build up the confidence to knock. She didn't need to, as her own door opened and Amumu walked out.

"There you are! I thought you'd have gotten back from breakfast already." Amumu said, blushing suspiciously.

"Most of the champions are still at breakfast, and you thought I'd be finished? What were you doing in my room anyway?"

"Looking for you." Annie did feel a little better hearing those words, but knew it was a lie. She pushed past Amumu and into her room. It was mostly in the same state she had left it, save for the small package sitting in the middle of her bed. She heard the sound of a door closing behind her, turning around to realise Amumu had ventured into his room. She looked at the package in her hands, it was very light, really just a small brown box with white ribbon wrapped around it. There was a note underneath it, which Annie decided to read first.

"I'm sorry." Annie read the two words out aloud, suddenly feeling energy surge through her body. She removed the ribbon and opened the little box, and almost gasped at what she saw. In all the time she had known Amumu, never before had she imagined he would be the kind to buy her jewellery, but how wrong she felt now staring at the beautiful silver bracelet with a simple pendant hanging of it. Upon closer inspection, Annie could see the pendant was a small silver heart, encrusted with pink jewels. It was unquestionably beautiful, and Annie stood there in complete awe of the gift she had been given. She rushed over to Amumu's door, knocking repeatedly and calling his name. He opened the door slowly, noticing the overwhelmingly happy look on Annie's face.

"I'm so sorry about what I said yesterday, I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just confused; I can explain that later though if you want. Do you like the gift?" Annie embraced him, wrapping her arms around his neck and throwing her face into his chest.

"It's beautiful, where did you get it?"

"I went into the marketplace early this morning, before you woke up. I figured with all the festivities there would be something nice somewhere. I'm glad you like it." Amumu could feel that warmth spreading through his body, the same warmth Galio had called love. Amumu wasn't convinced that what he said was true, or whether or not him and Annie could go anywhere, but he knew he was willing to try.

 _Besides, if it doesn't work out, I can continue to be alone. No harm in trying._ He had reasoned with himself before making the decision to get her the gift. Annie pulled away from him, straightening herself out.

"I'm sorry too, after what you said last night I thought… I was worried maybe…" Amumu cut her off with a smile.

"It's fine Annie, I understand." The two stood there awkwardly for another moment, not sure what else to say. Since it became apparent neither of the youth was going to continue this current conversation, Annie decided to fill Amumu in on the itinerary. He groaned a little hearing about them starting in the marketplace.

"But it'll be so crowded, and I hate it when everyone comes for autographs, not that anybody ever asks for mine."

"You complain too much Amumu, look on the bright side, at least I'll be there." Amumu felt a little better at that idea, and the two left for the marketplace.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Laurant's Challenge

The morning in the marketplace had passed quicker than expected. The crowds were large, everyone wanting to catch a glimpse of what was being labelled the cutest couple the Institute had ever had, much to the embarrassment of Amumu and Annie. They both signed autographs, although Amumu was still convinced the people who asked for his were just doing it to mock him. Kayle had eventually shown up, dispersing the crowd, announcing the end of the signings.

"Thankyou so much Kayle, I wasn't sure how much more of that I could handle." Annie said, leaning back in the chair she had been given for the event.

"No problem, you two weren't too bad. You should have seen Varus last year, god he made a fool of himself, at least you two were respectable, and very cute." The angel winked at Annie, who blushed a little before nudging the judicator for her comment.

"Anyway, the Laurants are expecting us, and it would be rude to keep them waiting. Shall we?" Kayle offered Annie a hand out of her chair, which she gratefully accepted. The angel then led the way through the still quite busy streets of the Demacian capital before they arrived at a beautiful old home, a large stained glass window depicting a rose sitting above the grand entryway.

"It's the symbol of House Laurant, very famous in Demacia. You would do well to treat most of the family with respect, they are a very proud family, in case Fiora wasn't a give away." With those last words of wisdom, Kayle left for the party by herself, greeting a good looking young guard at the front with a slight wink before going in. The guard almost dropped his lance before regaining his composure.

Annie and Amumu were a little unsure what to expect. In both of their experiences with Fiora she had come across as anything but likeable, if her whole family were like that… Annie really didn't want to imagine what a family get-together was like. Amumu took her hand in his, and she once again could feel the warmth radiating off of him. How very living he seemed to Annie as they stood there hand in hand, it was almost possible to forget his un-dead nature. The two walked through the doors together, getting acknowledgement from the guard in the form of a nod. The inside of the home was just as extravagant as the outside, antiquities from every state lining antique wooden furniture. Every room was illuminated by giant crystal chandeliers, which played such beautiful light patterns upon the walls even Lux would be envious. The grand entry-hall seemed to be the centre of the party, official people walking around mingling with each other, while interspaced between this were the champions of the Institute. Most looked awkward with the situation, not used to such an official gathering, but Fiora and Jarven were thriving. The two stood amongst a giant crowd of people, all trying to strike up a conversation with the highly respected duo. Annie couldn't help but also notice the way Fiora kept close to him, occasionally brushing up next to him as they moved. Jarven seemed to pay no notice to this however, yet Fiora continued to try.

"Look at her, rubbing herself over him like some desperate puppy." Shyvana's growl of a voice made Annie jump, not having noticed the half-dragon's presence.

"I'm glad you decided to come." Annie said, finally recovering her breathe.

"Ha, I'm not, look at those two, it's going to make me sick. Nice to see you two figured everything out though." She gestured towards their interlaced hands, which they both immediately broke realising the reassuring gesture was still going on. Shyvana just laughed.

"Ok, so you guys are still shy, I get it. Now if you don't mind, I need to find something to eat before I take a bite of that stupid Laurant." Shyvana turned and walked away, people quickly moving out of her path once seeing her less-than-happy appearance.

The pair slowly meandered their way through the crowds, greeting and chatting when required, never daring to leave the other's side. Most of the officials here seemed to be outside of the Laurant house, most being advisors, so the overall mood wasn't as depressing as they had expected. The champions looked rather out of place, most wearing armour or casual clothes in comparison to the suits and robes of the officials. Overall, Annie could say the party was going well, until there came an incredible crash from the other side of the room. There were a few gasps, but things quickly fell silent as Fiora yelled above the rest.

"You blind oaf, do you know how much such glasses are worth? Watch where you are going!" Most people would have apologised and walked away, but not this victim. Shyvana stood up, glaring down at the smaller duelist.

"I don't give a damn how much they are worth, don't you dare call me an oaf again if you value your life."

"How dare you disrespect me in my own home at my own event, I would do right to have you thrown out now, but alas, I am nothing if not generous. You may apologise, and I will forgive your wrong doings." Fiora smiled, realising she had Shyvana right where she wanted her. If she apologised, Fiora would come out as the dominant female which she was certain would win the appeal of the prince. If she resisted, she would come across as violent and aggressive, losing her favour with the prince. Either way, Fiora one, and Shyvana knew this, but never let it be said a half-dragon backed down from a fight. She balled her fist, ready to knock a lot more than sense into the rude dueliest, but another voice broke the conflict.

"That's enough of that, from the both of you. Fiora, it was an accident, drop it." Jarven's voice was authoritative, developed over many long and drawn out negotiations with people from many states. Sadly these two women were not negotiators, and unfortunately the one thing they had in common was a proud nature dictating their every behaviour.

"That accident cost me thousands worth in crystal ware, which I will have to replace. And then she decides that instead of apologising she would disrespect me, the victim. Where is your sense of justice Jarvan."

"Oh, shut up Fiora, the Laurant's have enough money to buy every set of those glasses ever made. You're only interested in your petty little self and disgracing all those who oppose you!" Fiora drew her sword, stepping up to Shyvana ready to strike, but was stopped by Jarven's firm grip on her wrist.

"Are you going to say that was an accident too?"

"No, I'm going to say her comment is disrespectful and out of line…" Fiora smiled, acknowledging her victory. Or so she thought.

"… But none-the-less true, I know you Fiora, so I'm going to ask you again, drop it." Fiora's face had turned a beetroot colour as the prince's words rang in her head.

"How can you take her side in this!? I have done nothing but be kind to you, be there for you, while she ignored you. But now, when she attacks me in my own home, you side with her!"

"Don't claim you did that stuff for me, I know you Fiora, and that isn't you. Shyvana may have seemed distant, but she was trying to teach me something." He turned to look at Shyvana whose face had softened with the prince's presence.

"Something I should have realised a lot earlier." Fiora saw the way they looked at each other, and knew she had lost. With a frustrated scoff, she turned and headed through the fray and into the private quarters of the house. There was some sarcastic clapping from some of the people in the cloud, probably ones who had felt Fiora's wrath before. With the situation diffused, they slowly began to go back about their business.

"I'm sorry Shyvana, I should have realised so much sooner. I need you, and part of that is having the confidence to tell you how much you mean to me." Shyvana looked once again to be on the verge of tears, but this time with a smile on her face.

"Oh Jarven, you have no idea how long I've wanted to hear those words." He leant in and kissed her, nothing long, but passionate none the less, causing the half-dragon to almost melt away, falling into Jarven's awaiting arms.

Annie and Amumu watched the whole thing play out from where they had stood. Annie in particular was ecstatic at the outcome.

"You seem very excited about those two."

"Shyvana wasn't going to come originally, but I told her she should. In a way, I'm saying that was my doing." Annie beamed at the young mummy.

"Annie the match-maker… Now that does sound terrifying." Annie jaw dropped and she punched her friend in the arm. He chuckled a little, catching Annie off guard.

"Since when do you tell jokes?"

"I don't know, I usually can't think of any, but that one just came to me." Although seemingly insignificant, the single joke meant so much to Annie. Amumu's curse was so hard to understand, she had no idea what he was and wasn't capable off. Humour and making people laugh was not something she thought would be up there. If he could do that, surely love was possible? She smiled at Amumu, letting these reassuring thoughts wash over her. Shyvana and Jarven soon joined them, hand in hand, smiles on both their faces.

"I don't know about you two, but I feel I've out-stayed my welcome here. Would you like to leave?" Both Annie and Amumu nodded at Shyvana's words, and the four of them left together to return to the palace.

The walk was a short one, the Laurant house not being too far away from the main palace. Approaching from the main entrance, it finally grasped Annie how magnificent the palace truly was. It was separated from the rest of the city by a large rampart, although the intricacies in the stonework made it look as much an art piece as a defensive tactic. The only obvious way through the wall was the large arch they were approaching, which had no less than eight guards positioned underneath it. Unlike the guard at the Laurant house, these guards were clad in full Demacian colours, and it was very obvious no angelic wink would phase them. As Jarven approached, they all seamlessly stepped aside, forming a sort-of thoroughfare for the group with military precision. On the other side of the rampart were the palace gardens, which at the moment contained primarily roses, red and white the dominating colours.

"The palace always opens its gardens on the last day of the festival, so we try to make it feel a bit more festive. The gardeners have been caring for these roses for weeks now, and the results sure are stunning." Jarven said, walking over to one of the bushes and picking one of the red roses. He gently sniffed it, sighing at the perfume. He returned and offered the rose to Shyvana, who eagerly accepted it, sniffing it herself. The two re-locked hands, and made there way around to the entrance to the guest quarters. It was there they parted ways, Jarven and Shyvana having things to do and allowing the younger duo to pack and explore. Packing would be easy enough for Amumu, having not actually taken anything out of his bag.

"One of the few advantages of being a mummy." Amumu had explained to Annie, earning a short laugh, not that he had meant it as a joke. Annie herself really hadn't unpacked much either, so packing took next to no time. Before they knew it, they were both standing out the front of their rooms, waiting for the other to suggest something to do.

"Come on, there must be something you want to do."

"Mumu, for the hundredth time, I don't care. I'll do whatever you want to do!" This conversation continued along the same lines for some time, until eventually Amumu gave in and suggested something himself.

"Fine, would you like to go and walk around the gardens?"

"That sounds wonderful! See, wasn't so hard was it?" The two exited the way they had came and began to make their way through the gardens. Jarven wasn't lying when he described the results as stunning. Roses of ever shape, size and colour could be found in the garden, stretching to every corner of the garden. The scents that filled the youth's noses was overwhelming, often sweet and enticing, but occasionally rich and powerful. Amumu could feel his mind relaxing a little from its confrontation with the multitude of stimuli around him. Adding to this feeling was the fact Annie seemed to be creeping closer and closer to him as they walked, and soon he could feel the soft touch of her arm as it brushed against his. Without a second thought, he took her hand in his, not looking aside to acknowledge the now red-faced Annie. The gardens did seem to stretch on forever. Premade paths wound their way through the blooms, connecting at an occasional courtyard or water feature. After what felt like an hour of walking, the two arrived at what they assumed was to be the main courtyard. Servants were rushing around, organising seats and tables. A stage had been set up, presumably for a band or something on the day. Red and white ribbons were being spread over the aforementioned furnishings, giving the whole scene a truly romantic appearance. The servants worked tirelessly, not noticing the two champions who had stopped to watch them at their work. Eventually a familiar face appeared and come over to join them.

"Hello you two, enjoying the garden's are we?" Xin Zhao was wearing similar clothing to the servants, making it easy to mistake him for one. In his hand he had a bunch of roses, freshly picked, in a mixture of peach-like colours.

"Yeah, it's amazing, did you help organise it?"

"Yep! The servants work their behinds off all year to keep this palace looking magnificent, the least I can do is chip in once in a while." He plucked a couple of roses out of his bouquet and offered one to each of them, before walking away to re-join the workers. Annie put her small rose behind her ear, batting her eyelids at Amumu.

"How do I look?" He took his rose and offered it to her.

"You look beautiful." While Annie had been hoping to illicit a reaction of sorts, Amumu's words caught her off guard. All those times she criticised her own self, and now Amumu said she was beautiful? She could feel her heart beating faster, desperately tying to get blood to every end of her body. She shifted uncomfortably as she felt the warmth spread across her face, breaking eye contact with Amumu in hopes of minimising the effect. It didn't work. Amumu noticed Annie's reaction, and felt a kind of pleasure wash over him. He looked into the sky, the sun starting to set.

"Come on, let's get back to the palace, dinner will be on soon." Annie let Amumu lead her through the garden, his hand pulling on hers to remind her to keep walking and not just stop, which right now was exactly what she wanted to do. She wanted this moment, for her and Amumu, to just stay as it were forever, for her to feel how she felt right now every day. When they arrived back at the rooms and Amumu said his goodbye before entering his room, Annie let out a pent-up sigh.

"It's looking good so far Annie, let's not blow it now." She entered her room and got ready for dinner, her mind wandering all over the place, but always coming back to Amumu.


	6. Chapter 6

**Somehow this chapter ended up a little shorter, must have been around the time of my physics exam.**

Chapter 6 - A Brief Farewell

Annie and Amumu sat together at dinner this time, which seemed to set the trend for everybody else as the table that was previously all guys now contained every champion in the room. Shyvana sat next to Jarven, not really surprising anybody at the table who had all witnessed the outburst at Fiora's place, which led Annie to notice the duellist herself hadn't shown up. Vayne and Quinn sat together talking, but were interrupted as Lucian came in late and sat next to Vayne. She offered him a drink, which he kindly refused.

"I'm not getting sucked into that one again." This earned him a warm smile from Vayne, which made him feel a hundred times better than any drink could. The meal passed somewhat uneventfully, Jarven offering a toast before the food arrived.

"Well, my friends, I feel a toast is in order! Annie and Amumu, your presence here has been both helpful and pleasurable. On behalf of all us here, I wish you all the best for the remainder of your travels, and for whatever is to come afterwards." This was met by a few shouts of agreement, as well as some own personal thankyous. Once the dinner had concluded, Kayle and Poppy dismissed themselves, soon followed by Galio and Xin. Quinn, feeling like she was now the awkward seventh wheel amongst the three 'couples' also took her leave, offering hugs to both Amumu and Annie.

"It has been so good to see you two. And Annie, I'm betting on you, don't let me down." She added with a wink as she left for her room. Amumu looked at his friend questionably.

"Don't ask." was the only response he received. Seeing that the two other couples weren't really going to be much source of conversation, the two decided to return to their rooms.

"Do you want to come by…"

"Yes!" Annie cut Amumu off, not even allowing him to finish his sentence.

"I mean, umm, what were you saying?"

"I was going to ask if you wanted to come by my room later, it's not that late really, and you did want to spend some more time together."

"That sounds like a good idea, I'll consider it." Annie was doing her best to ignore how desperate she had sounded a few seconds earlier, but realised she wasn't going to manage that while Amumu was still there.

"I'll see you later then." Amumu left for his room, and Annie did the same for hers.

She waited an hour before venturing back over to Amumu's room, trying to construct the illusion that maybe she hadn't spent the whole time on her bed thinking about what she was going to do once she knocked on his door. She had quickly switched tops, her mind changing its plans with every new top, until she found she had settled for the first one she had changed to. She could feel sweat building up on her palms, and took a few deep breaths to settle herself.

"Pull yourself together, it is just Amumu." She put her hand to the door, but before she could knock the door was opened and instead she banged her knuckles onto Amumu's forehead. She gasped.

"Mumu, I'm so sorry, I was about to knock but then you opened the door!" Amumu just chuckled a little, seeing the mistake.

"It's fine Annie, I was just about to come over and see what had happened, I didn't think you'd take that long." Amumu stepped aside and waited for Annie to come in. Once she was inside, she made her way over to his bed and sat down, her mind still scolding her for having hit Amumu in the head.

"I can't believe I just did that. Not exactly how I wanted to start the evening."

"Annie, it really is all fine, I'm just glad you are here." He sat next to her, an awkward silence settling in between them. They both knew they should say something, but with all the strange emotions existing between them, it was hard to gauge what should and should not be said. Annie gave up, letting herself fall backwards onto the bed, rubbing her face with her hands.

"I'm really not good at this." Amumu followed her lead, both now lying next to each other.

"Well, you seem to still be better than me, that has to count for something."

"Please, visiting the garden, holding hands, the bracelet, they were all your ideas and each time all I've done is gawk and blush. I just wish I had as much confidence as you."

"You think that was confidence that made me do those things? I was scared and worried almost the whole time." Annie smiled at that comment; it was so Amumu to look at it like that.

"What did you have to fear?" Amumu rolled over a little and looked at Annie, who turned her head to look into his eyes.

"Losing you." His eyes, although daunting for some, drew Annie in, and she found herself involuntarily moving closer to Amumu. She laid her head on his chest and just listened to her friend. The way his breathing was slower than most, the way his chest moved up and down, the soft thumping of something within his chest. She let the soft sounds engulf her, and soon she was fast asleep, wrapped comfortably around Amumu. Needless to say this situation was a little awkward for him, never would he have pictured himself in a position such as this. When the two of them had been younger, they would sleep in the same room and stuff, sometimes even share a bed, but with Annie wrapped around him and snuggling up to him, this felt completely different. Realising he couldn't possibly move her without waking her, he instead let himself enjoy the experience, and he too soon drifted off into a comfortable sleep.

When Annie slowly returned to consciousness the next morning, she could not remember ever having had a better nights sleep. She rubbed her head along her pillow, loving the warmth it provided and the way it slowly moved up and down. Annie's eyes shot wide opened as she realised what she was thinking, and her heart started racing as she realised where she was. Amumu was still fast asleep, his breathing steady. Annie had both her arms wrapped around his waist. One of her legs had even found its way over his. Her ear was still pressed against his chest, not game enough to move it at the moment. She slowly removed her leg, and tried to carefully pull her right arm out from under him.

"No matter how awkward you feel now, it was worse for me last night." Amumu's voice made Annie jump. In her haste to get herself free, she had overlooked the fact Amumu never really slept, more meditated. He didn't need to, he was already dead. How deceptive his body could be to those who didn't know him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't expect to fall asleep." She finally pulled herself free, sitting up and stretching. Although she was a little ashamed in herself for letting this happen, she had to admit she felt really good.

"Well, it wasn't too bad I guess, so no need to apologise." Knocking could be heard from outside, Jarven's voice following it.

"Annie, sorry if I am waking you up, but your transport will be arriving soon, so you had best start getting ready. Footsteps, then more knocking.

"Amumu, your transport to Noxus will be here shortly, best get ready." Jarven could be heard walking back down the hall, and Annie took that as the sign to return to her room.

"I guess I'll se you at the carriage?"

"Absolutely." Annie entered her room, putting in a little bit of effort to tidy things up so it looked in much the same state she had found it. She took a quick shower, not knowing what the conditions could be like in Noxus, then grabbing her bag she made her way through the palace towards the main entrance. Jarven and Shyvana were waiting for her, and upon her arrival, Shyvana gave her a massive hug.

"I can't thank you enough Annie, if you ever need anything, don't be afraid to ask."

"The pleasure was all mine Shyvana, I'm just glad you two sorted things out." The two released each other, and Jarven took that as his cue to speak.  
"Apparantly I owe you more than I realised, here, take this." He reached into one of his pockets and offered her a small gold seal.

"It is a symbol of Demacia, and is treated with a lot of respect in the cities and villages. It is a sign that you are a dear friend." Annie accepted the gift with timid hands, carefully placing the intricate decal in her pocket.

"Thankyou so much Jarven."

"Don't mention it. Anyway, your transport awaits, Amumu is already loading his bag onto the back." Annie rushed off to meet her friend, who she found sitting in the carriage waiting. She hastily strapped her bag to the roof and joined him inside.

"Took you long enough." Annie poked her tongue out at him, the childish gesture setting a positive mood for the long trip.

"Have a safe trip!" Shyvana called out to them as the carriage pulled away from the palace. The last view they had of the palace was off the prince and the half-dragon embracing each other, framed by the beautiful arch in the rampart and the a garden of roses.

"I hope they have a good festival." Annie only nodded her agreement, still trying to preserve the sublime image of Demacia, a place she was determined to remember for many years to come.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Noxus

The trip to Noxus took most of the day; the duo passing into the main city just after the sun had fallen below the desert of Shurima. Although the trip could have been shorter by passing through the desert, it was instead decided to take a longer, safer route around the outskirts of the desert, heading up the serpentine river and passing by the Howling Marsh on their way to the Ironspike Mountains. From there, it was an easy enough trip through some of the outer villages of Noxus towards the capital. Although a formal visit, the duo would not be staying within the grand palace as in Demacia, instead being offered rooms in the home of the Du Couteau family, which had struck Amumu as rather odd.

"The Du Couteaus are offering us rooms? That doesn't seem much like them, Katarina and Talon always took me as rather reclusive. Cassiopeia, sure, she still seems capable of emotions, but the assassins? It strikes me as odd."

"Well, apparently they were the ones who requested it, so it can't be that bad." The carriage slowly pulled to a stop, and the pair hopped out, a little stunned at the house they had been dropped at. Unlike the houses in Demacia, this building was not decorated with colour and flourishes, instead relying on its age and architecture to testify to its value. As far as homes, or even mansions, went, the place was huge. Thinking back to their brief visit to the Laurant household, Annie could already tell this place dwarfed the duellist's home. Waiting at the door were the two Du Couteau ladies, each dressed rather casually, a sight not many got to behold from the duo. It was Cass who came and joined them first, slithering her way down the steps to embrace the pair.

"I'm so glad you could come! Please, do come inside." Almost ironically, Cassiopeia drew out every 's' sound she spoke, which brought a smile to Annie's face. She was also surprised at how warm their welcome was, this was certainly a side to the Du Couteaus that not many got to see. As they walked up the steps, bags in hand, Katarina stepped forward and relieved them of their burdens.

"You have no idea how much my siblings have talked about you coming, I'm glad you are here so they can finally shut up about it." Katarina kept her tone emotionless, being met with a glare from Cassiopeia.

"Oh please, don't act like the Heartseeker festival doesn't take your interest either Kat. Now, how about you show them to their room, our other guests will be arriving soon." Kat shrugged and led the way inside. These halls again contrasted to those in Demacia. While it seemed traditional in Deamcia to line the walls with banners and furniture, the halls in this house were empty save for portraits lining the walls, each seeming to depict a different member of the Du Couteau household. The size of the halls coupled with how empty they felt gave the whole place an eerie feeling, which Annie had kind of expected from the assassin's house.

"What did Cassiopeia mean by other guests?"

"Call her Cass, she hates it when people use her full name. Makes her sound old or something. Speaking of which, call me Kat, none of this Katarina nonsense. Anyway, she organised for some of the other Noxian champions to join us for dinner this evening, kind of as a celebration of the festival. I don't really know why she tried, she is the only person in Noxus except perhaps Talon who actually enjoys such events." Katarina stopped at the end of a long hall with a single door. She handed them each a key.

"This'll be your room, Cass got it all prepared so I have no idea what you can expect to be in there. Dinner will be on shortly, so come when you are ready I guess." Kat offered them back their bags, and with that she left without another word.

"She's very to the point, isn't she?"

"Comes with the job I assume." Annie was inclined to agree with Amumu's answer, not really understanding much about the family they were staying with. She took in the door in front of her.

"How come they only gave us one room?" She opened the door and stepped inside, instantly cursing Cass under her breath. The room was clearly designed as a kind of lover's retreat, roses in a vase resting on a small wooden table, a king-sized bed with red bed sheets and pillows. The room was a lot larger than the one they had each had in Demacia, Annie was even able to see a small sink and kitchen through one of the doors in the back of the room. As she explored the room, she had to admit it had been done up very nicely. Unlike the ghastly portraits of old Noxian generals in the hallways, the paintings in this room were more landscapes which showcased the beauty of Noxus and its surroundings. The bathroom was massive, with both a shower and a bath, but not a toilet, which had its own room off to the side of the bathroom. If it weren't for the one bed, which they would have to share, the room would have been perfect.

"Do you want left or right?" Amumu asked, his face betraying that he had a similar attitude towards the solitary bed.

"I'll take the right I guess." Annie responded, walking over and placing her bag by her side of the bed. Amumu mirrored her actions, throwing himself onto the bed after having done so.

"Well, at least it is comfy."

Annie and Amumu got themselves ready for dinner, exiting the room together and making their way through the halls. Kat had pointed out where the dining hall was as they had made their way to the room, so they weren't at risk of getting lost, but still they took their time, reading some of the names of the Du Couteaus in the portraits. Soon they found some they recognised.

"Hey Annie, look, it's Kat and Cass." Sure enough, there was a portrait of two young girls, both strikingly beautiful. Cass looked to be about Annie's age in the portrait, with Kat a couple of years older. They looked so young and innocent, it was hard to believe they had turned into the people they were today.

"Why isn't Talon in the portrait?"

"Because I'm not actually a Du Couteau, no matter what Kat may say about me." Talon, unsurprisingly, had snuck up behind the two, enjoying the way he was able to make the pair jump.

"I was adopted into the household by General Du Couteau about two weeks after that portrait was made. A few years later, Cass ensured that my face would be put upon this wall as well." He pointed down the hall to where there was an unmistakable portrait of Talon, although he did look a few years younger.

"They are my sisters in bond, not in blood, but I care for them no less than I would if it were the other way around. But that's more than enough about me; I've been waiting for you two to arrive. Very rarely does Noxus welcome representatives for festivals, so this should be a good experience for all of us." Talon led the way down the hall towards the noise of cutlery and chinaware. After a couple more turns, they found the hallway opening up into a large room with a large circular table in the middle. The table itself was piled high with different plates of food, from salads and soups all the way through to whole roast pigs and chickens. The Noxians had spared no expense on the meal. Gatherred around the table were a few other familiar faces. General Swain and the lady Le Blanc were deep in conversation, while next to them the brothers Darius and Draven seemed to be having an arm wrestle, which Darius was obviously winning, much to Draven's frustration. Cass and Kat were sitting next to each other, Kat eating away while Cass just looked at her sister disappointingly. She seemed to perk up when the three of them entered the room.

"There you guys are! I wasn't sure how much longer I could convince people to wait." Kat looked up from her meal, feeling the subtle scorn of Cass' words. Annie took a seat next to Katarina, while Amumu sat on her other side next to Le Blanc. Talon had a seat reserved for himself on Cassiopeia's right hand side, and once everyone was seated, she put her hands into the air, clapping a little.

"Let the feast begin!" With those words, everyone at the table began to help himself or herself to whatever food they fancied. Draven and Darius were both stacking there plates with meat, while Le Blanc opted into a more vegetarian meal. Swain took a peace of the pork and fed it to Beatrice, who was sitting patiently on his shoulder. Annie decided to try some of the soup, which had a strong sweetness to it, but still the odd punch of spice. She had to admit, it was probably one of the best pumpkin soups she had ever tasted. Amumu didn't really have to eat, he was dead after all, but he could still taste, and it felt rude not to at least try something. He went for the stuffed chicken, which had a very strong garlic flavour to it, but balanced with the subtleties of feta and herbs beautifully for an incredible flavour. The food was astonishingly good, far surpassing the meals they had in Demacia.

Once all the plates had been emptied, most for the second time around, servants came into the room and cleared the table, bringing back out an assortment of whiskies and wines and an after dinner teaser. Le Blanc accepted such an opportunity with open arms, instantly reaching for the most expensive bottle of red on the table and pouring herself and Swain a glass. Swain went to give Beatrice a sip, but was shut down by the glare Le Blanc gave him.

"Don't you dare go giving your bird a sip of that wine, it is some of the best in Valoran, and should be enjoyed by those who appreciate it." Swain looked a little crestfallen, but conceded, taking a sip for himself instead. In traditional Draven style, he stood up and challenged everyone at the table to a drinking contest, to which Darius slammed his face on the table in embarrassment. Kat took up her glass, accepting the challenge. The two drank plenty, but it was Draven after his fifth shot of whisky who collapsed from his chair and onto the floor, Kat raising her arms in victory.

"And with that, I'm off, I have some business to attend to this evening."

"Kat, you promised me no 'business' over the festival break, try to enjoy yourself." She leant over and whispered in Cass' ear.

"It's not that kind of business my sister." Cass' perked up at this, staring at her sister who strutted her way out of the door. Draven had finally recovered, and was now eying off Amumu.

"Draven always wondered about you, how does it feel to be dead?" Cass shot him a murderous look.

"Draven, don't be rude to our guest."

"No Cass, it's fine. I don't know how to explain it, I really don't know what it feels like to live, so I can't tell the difference." Amumu responded, Draven clearly not pleased with the answer.

"Could Draven make you laugh if he wanted to?" Amumu thought about this for a while and shrugged.

"I guess if you were funny enough, maybe, I really don't know." A glimmer filled Draven's eyes as he looked at Annie.

"Could she make you laugh if she wanted to?" Amumu didn't need any time to think about his response.

"Yes." Draven just nodded his head, seeming to think for a little bit.

"Draven is just confused is all, I mean, you are dead! Isn't it at least a little bit creepy that she likes you?" Cass shot up out of her chair at this.

"Draven, watch your tongue, or I'll have your brother rip it out." Darius however was eying off Annie now, not really paying attention to Cass' threat.

"My brother has a point, what do you see in somebody who is already dead? I mean, it just seems unnatural to me, that's all." Amumu could feel the rage building in his chest towards the two brothers, and Annie was doing her best to calm him down.

"Love is for the living, that's all I'm saying." With those last words from Darius, Amumu shot up out of his chair, fury burning behind his eyes. But he didn't fight, he didn't even say anything, he just turned and walked away, leaving Annie alone with the Noxian champions.

"Was it something Draven said?" Now it was Cass' turn to be furious as she chased the brothers from the room, down the hallways, spitting poison at them to speed their retreat, and eventually out the front door, which she merrily slammed in their faces.

Back in the dining hall, Le Blanc put a consoling hand on Annie's shoulder.

"Don't listen to much into what they say. Draven was drunk and Darius is a jerk, they don't mean it." Annie shrugged off Le Blanc's hand, tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Le Blanc, but as horrible as they were, they did have a point." Annie left the room before anyone could stop her, making her way through the halls. She reached their room, shouts echoing from inside the room as Amumu was throwing one of his iconic tantrums. Deciding it was better not to interrupt him, Annie chose instead to explore the halls a little bit, trying to take her mind off of Darius' words.

 _Love is for the living…_ Wasn't that true though? How could a creature who is not capable of life understand the pleasures it has to offer? Annie shook her head, refusing to let the words get to her, but she knew she was failing.

 _But I have felt his heart beat…_ Her mind kept running the same counter argument as well, the two sides waging war with each other as Annie struggled to deal with her clouded head. She snapped out of her trance when she bumped into somebody, looking up into the rich green eyes of Katarina.

"Annie, what are you doing walking around the halls at this time?"

"I needed to stretch my legs a little." Annie looked Kat up and down. She had changed since dinner, slipping into a much tighter pair of jeans and a slightly more feminine shirt. Overall, she was significantly more attractive.

"Umm, are you going somewhere Kat?" Kat looked around her sheepishly, making sure nobody was watching.

"If you want to stretch your legs, you can walk with me. I'm heading out, and the fresh air is good for the soul." Annie nodded, the idea of getting out of the eerie house certainly appealing to her. Kat led the way, exiting through one of the back doors of the house. She didn't make her way to the front gate, instead choosing to jump the fence to get to the other side, offering Annie a hand to help her over. They walked silently through the streets, Annie sticking close to Kat as they did so. These streets were not as warm and welcoming as those of Demacia, the people seeming a lot less trustworthy, especially with the way their eyes seemed to follow your movements. Annie was beginning to regret not grabbing Tibbers from her bag. Although she had challenge herself not to rely on her teddy for the trip, seeing the people walking around these streets suddenly made her very self-conscious. Sure, her pyromancy would probably be enough to stop most threats, but a giant flaming bear was helpful too. Kat let out a large sigh, staring up into the sky as the stars twinkled.

"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question Annie?" Unsure what to expect, Annie reluctantly nodded.

"Do you love Amumu?" Annie's first instinct was to deny it, I mean, the only signs that they could even have a relationship had only shown over the past couple of days. Again Darius' words played around in her head, sewing doubt into her mind. But the more she thought about it, the more she felt she wanted to say yes. Maybe she did love Amumu. She wanted to spend as much time as she could with him, so much so she didn't even care that he was dead. Surely that had to be some form of love?

"I think so, but it's difficult to tell." Kat smiled at this, the words resonating with her own feelings.

"I understand that more than most." The assassin stopped out the front of a hotel, looking at the entrance as if trying to motivate herself to enter.

"The house is just back up that street, not two hundred meters, you can't possibly miss it. Do me a huge favour, don't tell Cass where I came tonight, as much as she'd love to know, I'm not willing to tell her yet."

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." Kat smiled, giving Annie a small hug before walking inside. Annie should have left then, returned to the house, but she couldn't resist finding out who it was Kat had gotten so dressed up to see. She snuck over to the hotel, looking through a window and watching as Kat made her way towards a set of couches in the corner, waiting for somebody to show up. Sure enough, not two minutes later, a large man in a coat entered through the door next to Annie, who had hidden herself so as not to get caught, and made his way towards Kat. Her whole face lit up when she saw him, and she stood up and met him halfway across the room. He gently put a hand to her face, and she did the same to him. Annie was frustrated she couldn't make out anything about the man Kat had met, him never turning around so she could get a good luck. The man took Kat's hand and led her up the stairs. Just when Annie thought she was never going to find out who it was, the man looked back and Annie caught a glimpse of a set of very familiar blue eyes. Annie gasped a little as Garen turned around and followed Katarina up the stairs. She instantly made her way back to the house, jumping the wall herself (She was pretty proud of this achievement), and finding her way back to the room her and Amumu shared. She silently opened the door, figuring Amumu was probably in a sleep like state by now, although not letting herself fall for the illusion as she had done that morning. As quietly as possible, she slipped off her clothes, silently praying Amumu would not open his eyes, and put on her pyjamas. Hopping into the bed beside him, she fought the urge to snuggle up to him, not wanting to break his seemingly peaceful mood. She turned away from him, letting her mind wander a little before falling asleep herself.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 - Unfazed

Amumu was already in the kitchen when Annie woke up, the smell of butter and sugar filling her nose. She sat up, stretching her neck until she heard a faint crack before getting out of the bad, this time stretching the rest of her limbs. The room smelt absolutely delightful, Annie not able to remember waking up to the smell of food in her room. She slowly made her way towards the small kitchen as Amumu frantically scurried about the room trying to manage what felt like a thousand things at once.

"I didn't know you cooked." Distracted, Amumu slipped with the hot pan and accidentally caught some of his bandages alight, hurrying to put them out before the blaze spread.

"Well, we had our own kitchen, figured I should at least try to use it." Annie sniffed the air again.

"Are you making pancakes?"

"Well, I'm trying to, but unfortunately my first couple of attempts were a disaster." Amumu pointed to a stack of either burnt, shredded or undercooked pancakes, a testament to the mummy's struggles so far this morning.

"How long have you been up?"

"I've been up since Cass came by. Speaking of which, we are to meet her at the main entrance around ten, apparently she'll be accompanying us today."

"I can't even recall her stopping by, I must have been fast asleep still." Annie sat at the small table in the kitchen, watching as Amumu finally managed to make some presentable pancakes. He put them on a plate, covered them in some sort of syrup, which had been in a small saucepan on the stovetop, and offered them to Annie. She was about to dig in before Amumu interrupted her.

"Umm, you may want to block your nose for the first one. I have absolutely no idea how they are going to taste; I'm really not that good at this." Annie, determined to show she didn't care for his worries, put on a brave face and took a bite from the pancakes. Despite Amumu's worries, the pancakes were in fact quite tasty, the syrup sweet with a slight tang to it as well. Before Annie could help herself, she dug into the rest of it, finishing the meal far quicker than she expected. Amumu watched her the whole time, chuckling a little as she tried to lick the syrup off the plate. Annie, realising her behavious, pulled herself together and put the plate back down.

"That was delicious! Where did you learn to cook like that?"

"I don't know really. The recipe was out of a cook book I found on the bench, the rest was improvised. Figured the book couldn't be too bad if Cass allowed it to stay in the room."

"Wait, so you haven't cooked before?"

"Not really, no." Annie stood up and walked towards Amumu. She put her arms around him, liking the way he blushed as she did so.

"You should do it more often." She whispered ever so lightly into his ear. She felt him wrap his arms back around her, the two standing there in each other's arms.

"If that's what you want, I'd do anything for you." Amumu whispered back, sending a slight chill down Annie's spine. They were so close, their faces mere millimetres from each other.

 _All I'd have to do is lean in…_ Annie thought to herself, eying off Amumu's lips. But she didn't act, the moment moving on as they slowly pushed apart from each other.

Annie went and sat back down, letting her mind wander a little bit as she watched Amumu continue to cook. She began to remember sneaking out with Kat, and seeing Garen meeting her at the hotel. Suddenly Garen's sudden departure made a lot more sense, he wasn't running off to stop Lux, he was seeing the woman he loved. Annie smiled a little at this, the irony of Garen's actions setting in. How could he criticise Lux for risking the family's name when he was seeing a Du Couteau?

"Where did you go last night, I can't remember you coming back to the room, and I was up for quite some time." Amumu's question brought Annie back to reality as he sat down opposite her, now with his own plate of food. She contemplated what lie she could tell him to keep Kat's secret, but decided better of it. If she couldn't trust Amumu, whom could she put her faith in?

"Well, when I came back to the room you sounded rather… Well, distressed I guess. I took a walk around the house and ended up meeting up with Kat. The two of us went for a walk through the streets of Noxus, she was meeting somebody anyway so she was more than happy for me to tag along." She didn't mention that the person was Garen. That would be her little secret. Amumu didn't really even notice the last past, more focussed on the fact Annie had heard his outbursts from the night before. He had gotten a lot better at controlling his temper, it was something he was quite proud of as a matter of fact, and so to let someone like Darius get to him so much was a real disappointment. And now Annie had heard him too, chucking a tantrum like a toddler. He scolded himself internally for being so foolish.

 _Love is for the living…_ Darius' words were brutally honest. Amumu had told himself the same thing so many times over, but for somebody else to say it so bluntly, especially in front of a group of people like that, it was too much. He had no idea what to do now, his body tearing itself in two as he fought within himself. He could almost feel the curse digging into his heart, exaggerating the feelings of hopelessness the Noxian general had started. But in spite of all this some part of him refused to believe it, a part of himself that until now Amumu hadn't realised existed. It was warm, and its very presence in Amumu's mind offered him an overwhelming sense of reassurance. It spoke soft, and with a voice so tender and loving it was impossible to ignore.

"Don't listen to what Darius said, I know that you are capable of more than that." Amumu didn't respond, mistaking the reassuring words of Annie for the ones in his head. It wasn't until she put a hand on his shoulder that he jolted back into reality, the look of concern on Annie's face doing little to help Amumu's depressive state.

"Annie, what if he's right." She slapped him, not very hard, but enough for him to jump back a little in his chair.

"Don't say that, don't you ever say that." Annie looked on the verge of tears as she looked at Amumu. It was somewhat daunting, as if she was looking straight through him, reading his thoughts to make sure he wouldn't consider the prospect anymore. Although somewhat aggressive, the act sent subtle warmth through his body, glad at the fact she thought so highly of him. He looked down at his plate of food, realising he really didn't have an appetite. He offered his pancakes to Annie.

"I'm not really that hungry, you can have the rest." Annie wiped the tears from her eyes and accepted the plate with a smile, the two sitting and enjoying each other's company in silence as Annie finished the second plate of food. Once done, Annie left to have a shower while Amumu washed up. The somewhat benign tasks were reassuring for the pair of them, especially after so much had happened the last couple of days.

 _Would it be too much to ask for one normal day?_ Amumu mused, a smile crossing his face as he realised such a prospect was probably unlikely. How much he had changed, from the cursed mummy who didn't believe himself capable of anything more than sadness and anger to this, someone who smiled and joked so willingly.

The two dressed quickly, taking it in turns so as not to interrupt the other, and headed to meet Cass as instructed. She was waiting for them, looking excited, tail twitching in anticipation.

"There you two finally are! Today is going to be great, you have no idea what you are in for." The three made there way outside where another coach was waiting for them. Cass entered first, offering her hand to the other two as they climbed in.

"Well, first of all you have been invited to the high palace for a meet and greet with some of the high-ranking Noxian officials. I'll warn you now, most of them are military veterans, and so jokes are not often well received. After that, we are travelling out to one of the outer-areas of the city, mainly around the orphanages, where you can just go introduce yourself. We may be Noxians, but we still have hearts, despite what others may say." The carriage pulled away, taking them through the streets of Noxus towards the central palace. Annie had to admit, the city was not as she had expected. Rumours were that Noxian streets were riddled with crime and poverty, people mugging you if you take two wrong steps, and murdering you if you take a third. The people Annie saw were nothing like this. Children played merrily in the street, albeit under the watchful gaze of their parents, but happily none-the-less. Lovers could be seen on street corners, sharing a moment of public affection, bringing smiles to the occasional passer-by. Red ribbons adorned many of the shops in the streets, the Heartseeker festival clearly being a big deal in this city as much as Demacia. Signs sat on the sidewalks advertising jewellery, chocolates and flowers, everything a couple could need for such a celebration. As the carriage drew up to the palace, the themes continued. Although the garden could not compare to that of the Lightshield's back in Demacia, roses had been planted and were beginning to bloom, warming up what Annie imagined was usually a dreary place.

The meet and greet passed quickly, the two not really having much free will at the time. Cass ushered them through crowds, introducing them to so many people the pair couldn't possibly remember them all, even if they tried to remember half of them each. Cass was pleased however, a smile adorning her serpentine features as they left the way they had came.

"You two impress me, most people would be mortified after such an experience, but you handled it quite well. I promise the next stop will be more enjoyable." The carriage seemed to travel for what felt like an eternity, the busy main streets slowly changing into more open spaces with smaller shops and the occasional park. Eventually the couples on the streets vanished, replaced instead by many more children. Despite being labelled the orphan district, everyone seemed so happy. The moment the two stepped out of the carriage, a crowd of children had already gathered around them, most looking simply to touch the champions, eyes wide in disbelief at the sight. As was the way with children, the odd one wanted a hug, and Annie was more than happy to oblige. Even Amumu found himself embracing the odd child, although with a lot less gusto than Annie was. Time flew by, and when Cass signalled that it was time to return to the carriage, Annie found it very hard to leave the devoted following she had gathered that afternoon. Just before they left, a little girl ran up to the front, a small white rose in her hand. She tugged on Amumu's bandages, catching his attention. She didn't say anything, offering him the small white rose with a slight pinkish tinge to her cheeks. Amumu leant over and looked her in the eyes, giving her a small hug.

"When I grow up, I want a husband just like you." The girl said quietly enough for only Amumu and Annie to hear. Amumu was on the border of protesting, of pointing out how much of a failure he was, telling her she could do so much better. But something stopped him, and instead he gave the flower a small sniff and offered it back to the little girl.

"When you grow up, you can have any man you want." The girl's eyes almost popped out of her head, looking unnaturally large as she stared at the mummy's act of affection. She took the rose in her hands, treating it as if it would break if the breeze picked up. She looked up at Annie and Amumu one more time, smiling widely and ran off, a small trail of tears on her face.

"Mumu, that was so sweet."

"Yeah, I have absolutely no idea where that came from." He admitted while climbing back into the carriage. Waving a final goodbye to the gathered children, the three champions departed, making their way back to the castle.

"I've got to admit, you two never cease to amaze me." Those were the only words Cass offered as they ventured home. Annie moved slightly closer to Amumu, grasping his hand in hers. After everything he had done today, Darius' words seemed to hold no ground, and Annie found that the voice that had tormented her so much the night before was now completely muted, instead replaced by a much sweeter voice uttering the words she craved so much.

 _I'd do anything for you…_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 - A Hunter's Insight

When Cass said there was going to be another party that evening, Amumu almost burst into tears. The prospect of having to face any of the Noxians from yesterday sent complete and utter fear through his body. Even Annie, who was less prone to such extremities of sadness, was a little upset at the prospect of facing them again. Cass clearly noticed the look on their faces, and offered them a reassuring smile.

"Worry not young ones, this party will not be with the same crowd. I've invited Le Blanc once again, but most of the people here tonight will be from Zaun. We are always trying to strengthen our alliance, and a party such as this seems like an opportunity to good to pass by. In addition to them will be the hemomancer Valdimir, as well as Morgana, who as you may know is a resident in our city, and has also generously agreed to supply the food for tonight." Annie had never really met any of the people coming tonight, and strangely enough the people she knew the best out of the people there would be the Du Couteaus. Cass had left the two upon reaching their room, slithering away to get ready herself. It didn't take long for the two of them to get ready, Amumu never really changed and Annie was able to quickly get changed into something a little cleaner. As a result of this, the two found themselves with plenty of spare time. Not really wanting to waste the time lazing around in the room, the two decided to head to dinner early, taking their time to explore the rest of the house as they did. They started down the same way as yesterday, but turned off just before the main hall, heading deeper into the giant home. More portraits lined the walls, more faces of ancient Noxians who Annie didn't recognise. They walked like this for some time, the two occasionally attempting to pronounce some of the Noxian names, often failing quite spectacularly, until they could hear the sounds of raised voices.

"Cass, it's none of your business, just leave me alone."

"Kat, if you are sneaking out and seeing somebody who you are not willing to introduce to us, then that makes me worried. Is he a risk, does he mean our family harm?"

"Both of you calm down, you're yelling. Kat, you must see where Cass is coming from, if this person can't be introduced to us, what are we supposed to think." Talon's voice was enough to calm the other two siblings down, but by this time Annie and Amumu were pressing their ears against the door to get a closer listen.

"How can you take her side Talon, this is my personal life, I don't have to share it with you!"

"If you refuse to show me that I can trust this man, then I will be forced to assign my guards to you."

"Then you'll have no guards by the end of the week." The fury in Kat's voice was evident, and the silence that followed the threat was palpable. It was Talon who risked diffusing the situation.

"There will be no need for guards or killing, we are a family for pity's sake, we should be able to resolve this issue with dignity."

"Kat, please, I beg of you, don't force my hand."

What Annie did next would forever be labelled as the bravest thing she ever did. With an unforseen surge of adrenaline, Annie burst into the room, shutting the door in Amumu's face so that he could not follow her in.

"If I can assure you that the man she is meeting is not a threat, will you agree to let Kat be?" Talon had drawn his blade, ready to attack the intruder, but stayed himself after seeing the girl in front of him. Cass looked less surprised at the outburst, but raised an eyebrow at Annie's claim. Kat just stood there, a watchful eye on the pyromancer.

"You met the man?"

"I travelled with her through the city last night and saw the man she was meeting, yes." Cass sighed deeply, rubbing her temples at the new revelation.

"Annie, you realise if I take your word and you are wrong, you'll be labelled as an enemy of Noxus? Are you sure you trust this man enough to put your name on the line?"

"I know the man, and I know that he would never be able to bring himself to hurt Kat or any of your family. Please, you have to believe me." Cass clearly wasn't convinced, but Talon seemed to breath a little easier. He put a hand on Cass' shoulder, which she gently laid her own hand over.

"We trust you Annie, don't worry about that." He turned his attention to Kat, who was still giving her whole attention to Annie, a look of slight concern crossing her face.

"If there is anything you want to say Kat, now is the time to say it. Otherwise, I guess you can take your leave." Kat snapped her head back to her brother, still not happy with the conversation they had just had. She left through the door quickly, knocking Amumu over as she did. Annie followed quickly after her, leaving Talon and Cass alone in the room. She raced after Kat, who was walking away at a very fast pace.

"Please, Kat, let me explain." She turned on Annie, lifting her off the ground.

"Hey, let her go!" Amumu screamed from down the hall, running to protect his friend.

"Did you actually see him? Do you know who I'm seeing?"

"Garen Crownguard." Annie whispered so nobody could overhear. Kat looked stunned at how much Annie knew, then shook her head as she realised the errors of her ways.

"I should have known bringing somebody else along would betray my secret. I guess I owe you my thanks though; I really didn't want to have to deal with Cass' guards." She put Annie down, walking away with renewed pace as Amumu finally caught up to Annie.

"Are you ok? Did she hurt you?"

"I'm fine Mumu, stop fussing." Annie looked down the way Kat had gone, but the assassin had already vanished from her sight.

"Annie, that was stupid! They are a family of assassins, why would you jump in the middle of that!" Annie just smiled a little to herself, finally coming to terms with the sudden bravado she had shown.

"I think everybody deserves a chance at love, don't you?" The words double meaning hit Amumu hard as he struggled to come up with words. He couldn't continue to criticise his friend when what she had done was essentially the same as what he was trying to do with himself. Instead he settled for a light punch on her shoulder.

"Just don't do it again, you almost gave me a heart attack!" The two chuckled a little at this as they made their way to the dining room, figuring their time of exploring had come to an end with the encounter.

Much to their surprise, they were not the first people in the room once they entered. Le Blanc sat in the same spot as the night before, deep in conversation with what could be best described as a dark angel. Morgana looked up as the pair entered, offering a weak smile. Le Blanc took the initiative.

"Ahh, my dears, do come here. Allow me to introduce the lady Morgana, fallen angel, ally of Noxus, and best baker this side of The Great Barrier." Morgana laughed a little at the extravagant introduction.

"You flatter me Black Rose, unnecessarily so. I am simply Morgana, and we have met briefly before, though never out of the rift." The fallen angel extended her hand to Annie, who shook it awkwardly. Amumu followed suit.

"You are providing the food for the evening?" Annie enquired, remembering the words Cass had offered from earlier.

"Indeed, I have a bakery in the city called Sinful Succulence, which seems to have gained me quite the following. But as much as I love baking, catering for parties such as these is another hidden passion of mine."

"You really need to get a new hobby then." The new voice came from an extravagantly dressed man in a large red cloak. His long blond hair fell around his chest, and his smile sent a chill down the spine of Annie, sensing a taboo desire and maliciousness behind it. Vladimir took a seat next to the fallen angel, putting his feet up on the table, ignoring the glare it received from Le Blanc.

"So, you are the two representatives from the Institute of war? Good, a much better choice than Varus last year. Did you know that fool actually shot me with his damned bow during the festivities? God, I couldn't get the girls away from me for the next week!"

"You complain too much Vlad my dear, you never get any action regardless, surely it was a pleasant change for you." The three Noxians started arguing about Vlad's taste in women, then slowly drifted onto other matters, but Annie and Amumu had already zoned out a little. Annie had rested her head on his shoulder, yawning a little.

"Are you tired?"

"A little, I hadn't realised how much the day had taken out of me."

"I'll see if we can head to bed earlier tonight then, we have another full day of travelling ahead of us tomorrow." Annie softly hit her forehead.

"I forgot to pack after getting changed!"

"I'm sure you'll have time tomorrow." There conversation was cut off when a terrible voice yelled from down the hall.

"Mundo hungry!" The brute of a man ran into the hall, dressed in what was probably once a rather nice suit, but seemed a little stretched and ripped in places. He took a seat next to the hemomancer, who made an effort to put some distance between him and the Zaunite, even if it meant getting closer to Morgana. Singed and Warwick entered the room shortly after their Zaunite companion, taking up spots next to their burly friend. In comparison to the night before, the crowd was a very strange one. Singed and Warwick by themselves usually led to a strange company, but with Vlad, Mundo and Morgana as well… It was an interesting mix. The Du Couteau siblings joined them shortly after, Morgana rushing away as they arrived.

"Welcome everybody! In case you are not aware, Annie and Amumu have been staying with us in celebration of the Heartseeker festival, and I thought as this will be their last night with is, it would be a perfect opportunity to spend some time with old friends." She clapped her hands, and Morgana rushed in, magically carrying in plates of steaming meals which looked very appetising.

"So without further ado, please enjoy yourselves." The party slowly helped themselves to the food, most of which was designed to be bite-sized. Mundo took a whole plate to himself, shovelling the delicacies into his mouth, letting out the occasional satisfying burp. In comparison to him, Vlad seemed very picky with what he ate, chewing for a very long time before struggling to swallow, making the act look almost painful. Everyone else seemed to enjoy the meal as per normal, Annie marvelling at how delicious the morsels were.

"Morgana, this is amazing! How do you get so much flavour in something so small." Morgana beamed at Annie's compliment, touching her nose with her finger and winking at the young girl.

"Ahh, a magician never reveals her secret my dear, but I am very glad you enjoy it." The rest of the meal was enjoyed in silence, until eventually the plates were once again cleared and servants came bringing after-dinner drinks. Singed shoed them away, reaching down into his own bag which Annie hadn't noticed originally.

"Such a celebration calls for something a little more special." With a loud pop, the cork from the bottle shot off into the air, and soon everyone sat with a glass of Champagne in his or her hands. Even Annie and Amumu had been offered a small glass, but nothing large enough to be detrimental, simply as a taste so they too could enjoy the festivities. They raised their glasses together, Singed offering a few words about good health then started laughing maniacally, causing one or two people to look cautiously at the drink in their hands. Eventually they all drank though, Annie taking a sip before Amumu. It was a strange sensation as the Champagne flowed down her throat, the flavour truly unique and new to her. Amumu followed suit, letting out a small cough as the liquid touched his insides.

"That is truly unique." He said, offering his criticism in the least offensive way possible. Cass laughed a little at this, taking another sip for herself.

"It is an acquired taste my dear, worry not."

"One all people should become accustomed to if I do say so." Singed chipped in, finishing off his second glass and pouring a third. Warwick was still eying his glass cautiously, not having said anything so far that evening. His claws were scratching slightly along the glass, leaving a small pattern behind as they did so. Annie followed the pattern closely, trying to deduce the image, not noticing the pair of menacing red eyes that had settled themselves onto her. Amumu however had noticed the way the wolf was eying his friend, shuffling around a little further to try and put his body between the two. Warwick laughed a little at this.

"Don't look so stressed mummy, I'm not that kind of hunter." He put the glass on the table, turning it so Annie could finally see the picture he had drawn. To her surprise, the image seemed to be a mirror image of her own face, framed by an intricate heart. Warwick picked up another glass, again dragging his claws around the glass with precision accuracy.

"In fact, you could almost say I'm an admirer, the news of you two is travelling a lot faster than you think." The glass shattered, golden liquid spilling over his fur as Singed whimpered pathetically at the lost drink. Warwick simply shrugged at the inconvenience, taking Mundo's glass that had been emptied of liquid a long time ago.

"My only fear is how you two intend to handle it. I already heard about the incident with Darius from my Noxian friend here." He nodded to Le Blanc who was currently in conversation with Morgana. However, at the mention of the name Darius, Cass and Talon had started to eavesdrop on the hunter's conversation, curious as to what the wolf had to say.

"You two are more special than you know, both unique in your own way. I simply want you to prosper, and hope that one day you can treat me with a little more trust." He looked accusingly at Amumu, who without realising had unconsciously put an arm around Annie. She was honestly unsure how to respond to Warwick's words, his smile and glare contradicting the light-hearted nature of his words. The eyes of her picture in the glass seemed to stare back at her, and she was again reminded of the many flaws she saw in herself.

"There are a lot of eyes on you two, you are a symbol of hope for many, myself included. Be cautious, because I can guarantee you I'm not your biggest threat in this room." The two instinctively turned their eyes to everyone else at the table, misunderstanding Warwick's words. He put the other glass on the table, turning it to reveal the face of Amumu. The design work was truly to be marvelled at, the likeness of the two captured perfectly. Warwick smile widened, and he put his finger on the glass with Amumu's face on it, spinning it a little. It made a few circles, throwing light onto the tablecloth beneath it, before it slowly toppled, bringing the other glass down with it and shattering both of them over the table. The once perfect faces now sat in shards, Warwick's lesson sinking in. He didn't dwell on his grim words however, turning to Mundo and striking up a new conversation. Cass and Talon also resumed their conversation, not sure how to respond to the hunter's words.

Annie yawned, and Amumu remembered his promise. Excusing him and Annie, the two said their goodnights and left early, leaving the elder company to continue drinking. Back in the room, Annie changed quickly into her pyjamas and jumped into bed, looking at Amumu expectantly.

"Are you going to join me?" Amumu blushed a little at the request, rubbing the back of his head. The request was so very out of character for her, but as Amumu thought on this he realised it wasn't the first abnormal thing she had done today. Barging in on the assassins had actually made his heart skip a beat. If Talon or Katarina reacted on instincts, he could so easily have lost her, and that was a feeling he never wanted to have again. And now this, that same sense of bravado overcame Annie as she openly asked him to sleep with her, to come and embrace her. Until now, she had seemed so timid in her approach to him, this was a side of her he wasn't expecting, a side that he secretly enjoyed. Annie wasn't sure what prompted her to do it, but suddenly she started pulling her puppy dog eyes, watching as Amumu's will dissolved and he pulled himself into bed, snuggling up to her. His embrace was so warm, so welcoming, Annie couldn't imagine ever having to leave it.

"Oh Mumu, what would I do without you." She muttered quietly, eyes closed as she enjoyed the moment.

"I hope you never have to find out." He looked at Annie, her eyes closed and a smile on her face. The way she held her body against his sent him crazy, conflicting thoughts of nervousness and desire telling his arms to do different things. But instead he listened to neither of these opinions, and in a completely out of character act, lifted her head up and looked at her. She slowly opened her eyes, the beautiful green irises driving him deeper into madness, and before he knew it he was kissing her, his lips joining with hers. Her eyes almost popped out of her head at the contact, before closing themselves as she felt indescribable pleasure run through her body. Her hands found their way to Amumu's head, pulling him in closer, extending the kiss. Whatever she had been expecting, this most certainly wasn't it. While the rest of his body was bandaged, his lips were fleshy and warm, a slight moistness gracing her lips as they touched. The longer they lay there engaged in their intimacy, the easier it became to forget Amumu wasn't alive like herself. They broke away eventually, gasping.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

"Don't you dare apologise for that silly!" She pulled him in again, kissing him harder, letting out so much of the emotion that had been building up since before they had started this trip. They would stop briefly, gasping for breath, before one of them would pull the other back in. The two eventually pulled further away, looking at each other a little sheepishly.

"Sweet dreams Annie."

"Sweet dreams Amumu." And with that Annie closed her eyes and drifted off into a deep, comforting sleep, Amumu left looking at his sleeping friend before pulling her closer. There was a brief moment in which he pictured the scene as Warwick's glasses had fallen, the two replicas of themselves shattering as they collided. Amumu felt something tug at his heartstrings, an unmistakable warning, but the longer he looked at Annie, the more he was willing to accept the risks. And thus he closed his eyes, feeling like the luckiest mummy in the world.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 - Flourishing

Morning came all too quickly in Amumu's opinion, light beginning to peek its way into the room, illuminating the scene around him. As beautiful as the rest of the room appeared in the early-morning light, his eyes couldn't pull themselves away from the girl rubbing her face against his chest. She looked a little dishevelled at the moment, her mouth open slightly with a little drip hanging from her lip, but Amumu couldn't think of a more sublime sight. He ran his hand up her back and she shivered, arching her back a little and pulling herself closer.

"Amumu." She muttered in her dreamlike state, clearly not aware of the words coming out of her mouth. He did it again, personally enjoying the way her body moved under his touch. Her whole body shook this time, and she grabbed his arms tightly, stopping his hand movements.

"That isn't fair, you know I'm ticklish." She whispered, slowly coming to consciousness. Her eyes opened slowly, just in time to see a malicious smile cross Amumu's face. Her eyes got larger very quickly, and she tried to push away a little bit.

"Don't you dare…" But Amumu didn't listen, jumping on top of her and tickling her relentlessly. Annie couldn't control herself, rolling around trying to shake off the mummy. She could barely breathe, all the air in her lungs being spent on laughing and repeatedly yelling at Amumu to stop. She turned to try and twist out of his grasp, and the two collapsed onto the floor, Annie crushing Amumu beneath her. She stopped laughing, checking she hadn't hurt the mummy beneath her.

"Mumu, I'm so sorry! Are you ok?" He just laughed, smiling at the concerned look Annie offered him. He leant forward and softly kissed her nose, watching as blood filled her cheeks. He pulled away, only to have Annie pull him back in and give him an equally short peck on the lips. Time seemed to slow in that moment, every background stimulus vanishing as the two focussed entirely on the other, noticing every little detail. Intimacy was neither of their strong suits, but as their bodies pressed against each other it felt like the most natural thing they had ever done. For what felt like the first time, Amumu could feel his own heart racing, the constant thumping in his chest serving to exaggerate his desire for the pyromancer. He could feel her heart doing the same, breathing increasing to keep up with its excessive demand. It was in this eternal moment they realised that no longer were they friends, passing into the realm of something much more, and while the thought sent butterflies to their stomach, neither said the words.

It was Annie who eventually checked the clock, swearing under her breath at the amount of time they had spent entangled together on the floor, picking herself up and rushing about trying to get everything packed. The trip to Piltover was expected to be a long one, and they had forgotten to ask Cass what time they would be leaving. She could be coming by any moment, and Annie really was not ready yet. Amumu slowly pulled himself up, stretching a little. He had fortunately kept his mess to a minimum, and as such was already packed. He decided to sit on the bed and watch as Annie fussed over her stuff, making sure she had everything organised. He chuckled.

"Where you this stressed in Demacia?" Annie looked at him, a little unhappy to see him lazing about.

"You do realise what I chose to do over this last night right?" Although this probably would have been sufficient to silence Amumu, the knock at the door worked quicker.

"Sorry Cass, I'm not quite ready yet, could you give me a moment longer." Annie went over to open the door, but it was not Cass resting in the doorframe.

Warwick didn't wait for an invite, stepping into the room and taking in the scene. Neither of them was overly comfortable with the hunter's invasion of their room, but decided they'd rather not pick a fight.

"Sweet little room you two have here, Cass gave me some pathetic little thing." He leant against the wall, looking Annie up and down again with those horrible red eyes. Annie felt as though her entire skin wanted to pick itself up and walk away, Warwick's gaze sending her brain haywire, pleading with her to run from the vicious glare.

"What can we do for you Warwick?" Amumu asked, sounding a lot more confident than he looked.

"I actually come bearing a gift." He exited the room briefly, walking back in with a small red box. He held it carefully in his hands, the package being fragile. He handed it to Annie, who carried it over to Amumu and together they opened it on the bed. Inside were four Champagne glasses, much finer quality than the ones from the night before, each with a golden stripe running down their stems. Amumu picked one up, admiring the beautiful crystal work, turning it around in his hand until he saw the engraving on the other side. Amumu was once again left to marvel at the delicacy of Warwick's art, the attention to detail he had, and the way he could capture Annie's likeness in a way he could never have imagined. Along the bottom of the image was a single word, written with a calligraphic finish. _Soul._ While the ones at dinner last night had been somewhat of an improvised project, these images had clearly taken a long time to complete. Annie lifted another from the box, turning it around. Depicted on this one were the two of them, arms around each other and smiles on their faces. _Love_ was the word inscribed with this picture. Placing his first one back, Amumu drew out the last two, turning both to admire the work. As expected, one was a depiction of himself, the word _Heart_ framing the gentle expression on his face. The final picture was simply a very intricate heart, wrapping in on itself again and again. The flourishes on the twists and turns reminded Amumu of fire, flickering away chaotically. He read the final word out, letting the impact wash over the trio.

"Hope." Warwick shifted a little on the wall, his face betraying no emotions.

"Warwick, these are beautiful, they must have taken forever to do." Warwick smiled at this.

"When you have as much free time as I do, you take up hobbies. While I am glad you enjoy this, they come with a condition. A request more correctly." Annie nodded, accepting his terms.

"When you travel to Ionia, you will undoubtedly come across the one they call the Star Child. I want you to tell her I'm sorry." Annie looked a little confused at the request, clearly not seeing how the exchange at hand was in any way fair on Warwick.

"That's it?" Warwick smiled at this, his fangs bearing a little, but a twinge of sadness befell his eyes.

"If you knew the history of those words, you would not dismiss this act so simply." Having done what he came to do, Warwick left without looking back, leaving the two to further admire the craftsmanship.

"Heart and soul…"

"Love and hope…" The two looked at each other for a little, both contemplating what the words meant. Annie had to shake herself out of her state, remembering she still had packing to do, and Warwick's interruption had put her even further behind. Amumu packed away the glasses and went to put them in his bag, figuring that was the safest place for them. As he brushed through his belongings, making a nice soft location for the delicate glasses, he came across the small pink package from the first day. He had almost forgotten about the secret gift, and as much as he was dying to give it to Annie, he still didn't feel now was the time, and thus tucked it back into his bag, resting it next to the precious glasses.

Just as he finished zipping up his bag, another knock came at the door, and Cass' voice echoed from outside.

"Good morning sleepy heads! You best hurry up, the carriage to Piltover has already arrived, and it will be a long journey." Annie and Amumu both picked up their bags and headed out to meet the waiting Cassiopeia. She smiled warmly, offering to carry their bags. Annie accepted greatly, but Amumu declined, saying he felt safer with his bag with him, his thoughts turning to the fragile gift they had received. Out the front of the house, Talon was already waiting to wish them a goodbye.

"Your presence here has done more than you could comprehend." He had offered to the two, embracing them in one large hug. The two loaded their bags, Amumu being very careful not to bang his bag against anything, before heading to hop in the carriage. Annie looked around a little disheartened.

"Where is Kat?" Cass offered a sad shrug, and Annie imagined she was probably still unhappy at Annie's invasion of her privacy. This brought a frown to her face, she had been beginning to feel as though her and Kat could have become close. Annie pulled herself into the seat opposite Amumu, trying to put on a positive face. They waved their final goodbyes as the carriage started off through the streets of Noxus, heading towards the route that would take them through the Ironspike Mountains towards Zaun and later Piltover.

However, before reaching the moat that surrounded Noxus, the carriage pulled to a stop, raised voices able to be heard from outside. There was an exasperated sigh, and a familiar figure opened the door for the two of them. Instead of them getting out, Katarina jumped into the carriage, lending a hand to the man behind her as he pulled himself up too. Garen removed his hood, and Amumu let out a little gasp at the discovery.

"I couldn't let you leave without saying goodbye. I was kind of a bitch yesterday, which was no way to treat you after what you did for me." Garen gave her hand a little squeeze.

"For us. I know we didn't talk much in Demacia, but I have heard much about your travels. You are becoming quite the centre of gossip, which will make you close to superstars in Piltover." There was a frustrated knock from the driver, letting the group know they were falling further behind schedule. Kat gave the two of them a hug before making her way out of the carriage. Garen pulled his coat back on, offering merely a nod, but turned back just before exiting.

"Can you tell Lux I'm sorry if you see her?" He didn't wait for a response, jumping down to Kat, closing the door behind him. The carriage instantly took off again, traversing the moat and leaving Noxus behind them.

"I'm beginning to feel a little bit like a messenger, carrying all these apologise around." Annie joked, eliciting a smile from the mummy.

The two travelled in silence for a while, Annie catching up on a little bit of the sleep she'd missed after Amumu's tickling shenanigans. When she woke up, they were deep in the Ironspike Mountains, the views around them stretching all the way to into the Shurima desert to the south and the Guardian Sea to the east. Annie remembered reading somewhere that there was a pass through the mountains, but the driver had clearly decided to take a less common route. The more Annie looked out the window, the more she was glad they had.

"What are we Annie?" Amumu, noticing Annie as now awake, decided it was time to ask the question that had been on his mind since their moment that morning. Annie tried to feign ignorance, but she was fairly sure she knew what he was referring to.

"What do you mean what are we?"

"I mean, we aren't just friends anymore, friends don't…" Amumu wasn't sure how to phrase it, desperately looking for a way to put into words what he couldn't even put into emotions two days ago.

"Friendship doesn't feel like this." It was the best he could manage. Annie had to agree with what he said. I mean, she had more friends than Amumu, she knew what friendship was like, and this was certainly different.

"Well, what do you want to call it then?" Amumu looked forward blankly.

"I don't know, but I can't keep calling you my friend, it just doesn't feel right." He blushed a little.

"How does girlfriend sound?" Annie's stomach fluttered at this, her body tingling at the words being said out loud. Her smile was all the confirmation Amumu needed.

"I guess that makes you my boyfriend then." She added with a sneaky wink, Amumu again seeing that hidden bravery, causing him to shuffle in his seat.

"So, we are officially a couple then."

"Yeah, I guess so." They sat there in silence for a little bit, trying desperately to shake the butterflies that were swarming around their stomachs at the acceptance of the fact. They were a couple, after so many years of friendship, they were finally more. Annie stood up and changed seats, setting herself down next to Amumu and wrapping her arms around him as she leant on his shoulder. He responded with giving her a soft kiss, nothing as desperate and longing as their first one, but drawn out so as to release much of the nervousness in-between them. He then let Annie snuggle into his chest as he rested his head on hers, and the two stayed this way for the rest of the journey, not wanting to ever let go of the other.


	11. Chapter 11

**Here on out the chapters are a little longer and 'mature'. If you want something light, fluffy and K rated, you can stop reading here and continue forth with the perfect, un-blemished couple as they are. It's really up to you. :)**

Chapter 11 - Dark Magic

Piltover came into view just as the sun was beginning to peak its way below the horizon, the dazzling lights of the futuristic city making it a beacon in the coming darkness. The carriage stopped a long way out of the city, the couple taking their bags and wishing goodbye to the driver, who headed off the way he had come. Annie wondered if he would do the entire journey back to Noxus by night, hoping he would stop to have a drink. He deserved one. Amumu was a little confused as to why he hadn't taken him into the city, but his questions were soon answered.

"Howdy darlings, what's up?" The woman who stepped out from the darkness was impossible to mistake. Her physique itself was abnormal, muscles evident beneath her top giving her a very masculine appearance, but you could never mistake her for one. Her smirk looked battle hardened, but had unmistakable warmth beneath it. Her neon pink hair blew a little in the early evening breeze, but her hands were what really caught everyone's attention. Around her hands was a pair of massive hextech gauntlets, steam escaping them a little every now and again. Vi was an intimidating presence, and this wasn't helped by the common knowledge of her criminal past, but for the two champions she was a welcome friend.

"Vi, what are you doing here?"

"Well, Caity and I decided we couldn't let you stay in any half-rate hotel, and as my apartment ain't really that spacious, I'm taking you to her place." She lifted one of her gauntlets into the air and pressed a small button-like device in her hand. There was a flash of lights and an engine revving, the motorbike behind Vi turning on under her command. Annie's eyes widened in excitement, while Amumu's did the same in horror. Vi laughed, jumping onto the large bike and patting the seat in front of her.

"No way am I getting on that thing."

"Don't be such a scaredy cat, this is going to be great." Annie ran off to join Vi, Amumu eventually following his friend.

 _No, girlfriend._ He corrected himself internally, smiling at the thought, which helped to put a little enthusiasm back in his step. The bike was truly massive he realised, both him and Annie being able to jump onto it comfortably. The handlebars seemed to be built in proportion to Vi's gauntlets rather than herself, and she smiled juvenilely as she revved the engine, fumes spitting into the air as the noise attacked the eardrums. Before the two had time to prepare, Vi slammed her foot onto the accelerator and they took off at incredible speed. The city was approaching quickly now, the buildings that were once distant now beginning to rise up around them, their height scraping along the heavens as though reaching for the divines. All around them were people Annie couldn't take her eyes off. Each had some quirk that separated them, whether it be some robotic attachment, peculiar fashion sense or outrageously coloured hair (A trend that Annie was really interested in adopting). The further they went, the more populated the streets became, and soon people began to point and notice the group as they raced through the streets. As they rounded a corner, they found themselves in what seemed like a large square. The sudden opening within the jungle of towers was unexpected, and the two were able to take in a little of their surroundings. Remarkably the square was home to a small forest, trees rising tall but falling well short of the surrounding buildings. Large video projections were laid upon the endless windows of the surrounding buildings, flicking through pictures of hextech products. The screens turned pink and a picture of Annie and Amumu was displayed, announcing their presence in the town. Annie wanted to do nothing more than run and hide at the image. How long had they been showing this? How many of these people would be lining up to see her because of this advertisement? The prospect was honestly terrifying.

Vi pulled off the main streets, leading away from the city centre a little before slowing upon arriving amongst a series of apartment buildings. From the fancy gates and security systems, as well as the well-kept gardens out the front, these were obviously property of the upper class. Unlike the beautiful buildings in the cities of Noxus and Demacia, Piltover's were much younger and thus lacked the ancient, artistic flourish. To make up for this, each building seemed to adopt an incredulous sense of grandeur. The sky was barely the limit of these monstrous buildings, windows and balconies stretching up beyond the clouds. Vehicles and machines could be seen swarming around the same skies, trailing lights and fumes behind them, painting the sky in the colours of progress. The group eventually stopped in front of a red brick building, seemingly smaller than it's neighbours. Vi turned off the vehicles engine, jumping off and hefting the youth's bags with her. Amumu winced a little at the thought of the glassware in his bag, hoping they weren't damaged in any way. The enforcer led the way to the front door, pushing it open into a small foyer. There was an aged man standing behind a fancy desk that looked up as they entered, but did little more to acknowledge their appearance. Vi walked past him to a set of stairs and started to climb, Annie and Amumu in tow. The staircase seemed never-ending, walking for what felt like hours until they eventually reached the top floor.

"Sorry about the walk guys, elevator should be working again soon." Vi rapped on a door, but there was no answer. Vi started to tap her foot a little, offering a smile to the other two. After a while, she knocked again, her smile slowly dissolving. This time voices could be heard inside, one distinctly male and the other female. Vi was almost pressing her ear against the door to hear what was going on inside, any inkling of a smile long gone from her face. After another minute of them awkwardly standing outside, Vi banged on the door once more, and this time it was opened within a matter of moments. Caitlyn was standing there, hair a little messed up but the rest of herself in her typical pristine condition. Vi barged past her into the room, eyes roaming the room.

"Where is he?" Vi asked, surprisingly calm given the way she was stampeding around the room. Caitlyn looked very uncomfortable at this, walking around after Vi trying to calm her down.

"What do you mean? I've been here alone." Annie gave a short cough catching her attention.

"We could hear another voice from outside." Amumu hadn't thought it possible for the sheriff to look any more distressed, but she managed to surprise him. Vi stopped walking around and turned on Caitlyn.

"Caitlyn, where is he, and what did he do to you?" Caitlyn looked on the verge of collapsing, her face an unnatural shade of red and tears beginning to well up in the corners of her eyes. She muttered something only loud enough for Vi to hear. The enforcer's eyes turned to Amumu and Annie who were still both standing in the doorway. She sighed, taking a set of keys of a small table beside the door and leaving the room, closing the door behind her.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. I'll show you to your room." She walked a little way down the hall until she opened another door and stood aside for them to enter.

"Caity owns the entire floor, so no need to worry about neighbours or whatever. I'll be in a room further down the hall if you need me and I guess you now know where Caitlyn is if you need her." Vi offered a strained smile before she left, leaving the two youth looking a little unsure what to do.

Open-plan seemed to be the go with Piltovian architecture. Just through the door was a large foyer-like area that seemed to serve as a kitchen, dining room, living room and entertainment area. One entire wall was dominated by glass, revealing spectacular views out over Piltover. While the neighbouring buildings all had seemed to dwarf the small building, the back of it opened up onto the smaller districts of Piltover, allowing for a magnificent view all the way down to the ports. Large screens could be seen dotting the landscape, making the darkened streets appear as the night-sky, man-made stars offering illumination to the young observers. Annie hadn't realised she had reached for Amumu's hand until she felt the gentle squeeze. Her eyes turned away from the view and onto him, who was still staring wide-eyed out of the massive window. Had her boyfriend always been this attractive? His large yellow eyes seemed slightly dimmer than normal, and he looked more human than ever with his innocent features playing with the abnormal lights that surrounded them. She turned to stand in front of him, running her hand along his cheek to pull his attention off of the window. Unsurprisingly it worked, and he looked longingly into her eyes. Annie began to walk backwards, hand still gently resting on Amumu's cheek as he followed, as though connected to her soft palm. Annie prayed she knew where she was going, and she leant back against the door she had noticed on the far side of the room, and to her relief the it opened and they found themselves in their bedroom. There was another large window lining one of the walls, but thankfully for them it was currently heavily tinted to prevent prying eyes. Annie pulled her hand away as she took the last few steps towards their bed. It was a massive king-size with soft silk sheets and similarly covered pillows. It was a very grand site to say the least, and as Annie sat down on the edge of the bed she took a moment to appreciate how soft it felt beneath her. Despite her confidence the night before, she found herself at a loss for what to do now. Amumu was still standing where she had left him, still looking half dazed as he stared at her. She ran over a mental list of all the different things she could do. Get undressed? No, that would be taking things too far, wouldn't it? Maybe she should just kiss him and leave it at that? But that seemed so anti-climactic, and she really wanted more than that right now. She buried her face in her hands at her hopelessness, and without intention started to cry.

"Why are you crying? Are you trying to kill the mood?" Amumu almost whispered, a smile gracing his lips in a little in attempt to lift Annie's spirits. She felt a little warmer, but tears kept coming.

"I'm just so bad at this. I mean, I built everything up perfectly and now we are both here, and I could feel my heart racing and my body waiting for something to happen, and now I've gone and missed the moment." This later part wasn't entirely true; she could still feel her body trying desperately to calm down her emotions. She felt uncomfortable, but in a good way. She didn't want to sit still, her lower body desperately wanting to move around and stay active. This sensation was so foreign to her, but now that she was feeling it she didn't want it to stop, yet she couldn't think of anything she could do to prolong it. Amumu wasn't being particularly helpful in this matter either, still looking half-paralysed as he watched Annie attempt to deal with her emotions. He slowly made his way over to her and sat himself down next to her, gently resting a hand on her knee as she wept. For any other person looking in on this the moment would have been simply unbearable. Annie wanted so badly to throw herself at Amumu, but was too shy and uncertain to take the action herself, and Amumu was likewise unsure what he could do to aid her. They scolded themselves for lacking the confidence to trust in themselves and the other. Eventually they conceded and simply let themselves fall back into the bed, holding each other close as they continued to wallow in their shortcomings. After the build up from earlier, neither of them was particularly tired, and Annie was still shifting around somewhat awkwardly in Amumu's arm, trying to find comfort within her foreign feelings. After many long minutes of struggling, Amumu gripped Annie's shoulders, holding her still as they finally met each other's eyes, a recognition passing between them as the uncertainty in the room seemed to dissipate.

They lost all restraint after this, throwing themselves into each other's arms as they kissed passionately. Annie ran her fingers along Amumu's bandages, slipping her fingers around and through the loose bandages. Amumu's own hands found their way around Annie's head, pulling her in closer and closer. A slight groan escaped Annie as she gave into the overwhelming pleasure, her entire being feeling as though it were aflame, a feeling she knew all too well. Annie's groan seemed to incite something within Amumu, and he pulled Annie's body even closer, almost crushing her within his arms, not that she would at all complain. She had suffered a lot more pain than this on the fields of justice, this pain was something she welcomed, a pleasure she wished to return. She slowly slipped her tongue into Amumu's mouth, a small gasp escaping him as she did so. Things escalated in this way for some time, the two trying with every ounce of strength they had to pull each other closer while their lips and tongues played together, desperate to hear the other moan or gasp. Amumu trailed a series of delicate kisses down Annie's neck. She was so hot. Amumu felt a slight warmth spreading up his arm, which he would have dismissed as part of the moment had it been anywhere else. A short glance showed that his suspicions were justified, and his arm was on fire. His eyes trailed all over Annie's body, and he began to notice the little details he had missed before. She certainly was hot, she was literally on fire. Her arms were aglow as small yellow and orange flames licked off her skin. Her hair was barely recognisable as such, replaced instead by a flowing red flame, flickering away chaotically. The fire seemed to be spreading over her entire body, creeping up her arms and down her neck until her clothes were engulfed in flame. By the warmth trailing up his legs and hips, Amumu assumed her lower half were likewise ablaze. He didn't want to stop, but when your girlfriend is slowly catching on fire in your arms, you tend to take an interest. He also wasn't overly fond of the idea of his bandages burning away. He instead lifted his head to Annie ear, whispering ever so quietly so as not to alarm her.

"Annie, you're kind of on fire."

His attempt at maintaining her calmness failed as her eyes shot open and look at Amumu, then slowly her arms. She panicked, pushing Amumu away as she desperately tried to put the fire out. Once she was convinced that she was safe, she noticed Amumu putting out the last of his burning bandages, and her heart sank. She slowly backed away, tears in her eyes as she looked at the boyfriend she had just lit on fire.

"Amumu, I… The fire… I didn't know…" The tears were no longer confined to her eyes, trailing down her cheeks as she entered a state of hysteria. She wasn't sure how it had happened; she had spent her whole life controlling her magical abilities, so how had this gone so horribly wrong? She looked herself over once more, noting her bare chest and the rest of her singed clothing. She quickly turned around and ran to the bathroom, now just horrified that Amumu had seen her in such a manner. Her reflection in the mirror made her feel sick. Her eyes were red from her crying, and what was left of her clothes was blackened and ruined, her undergarments well and truly gone. But in spite of all this there was a layer of sweat over her whole body. She looked filthy, she needed a shower, but that was the least of her worries at the moment. There was a light knock on the door, but Annie refused to acknowledge it at first.

"Annie, please, it's no big deal."

"How can you say that!? What if we'd kept going? My fire is dangerous Amumu!"

"If you'd wanted to hurt me, I wouldn't be here talking to you now. I'm fine Annie, please let me in." She washed her face quickly, trying in vain to make herself look slightly more presentable. She laughed as she realised that, for once, it wasn't her reflection's aggression that bothered her. Amumu heard this and met it with a frown. Was she really laughing?

"Amumu, I can't…"

"Nothing bad happened, let's just work this out, ok?" She shook her head at the words, Amumu clearly not understanding. She went to open the door, turning the knob but stopping before opening it.

"Not that, I… I'm not really decent…" There was a moment of silence, although she could have sworn she could hear the gears turning in Amumu's mind as he considered his options.

"Annie, with everything that happened, I don't think it's that big of a deal at the moment." She was still reluctant, but eventually opened the door. She felt so exposed and vulnerable. The remnants of her clothes had fallen off by now and she was completely naked, but Amumu paid no attention to any of that. He didn't take his eyes of hers. Even when she tried to look away he pulled her head back so as to not to break the contact. He embraced her, holding her close to his chest, although without as much force as earlier.

They made their way back to bed, where Amumu helped Annie get into her pyjamas. It was as though all energy had left her body with the flames, herself just a hollow shell of what she usually was. Her tears had stopped but had left crustiness to her skin and redness in her eyes. Once she was dressed and under covers, Amumu considered leaving her to sleep, she really needed it. But before he could leave Annie stopped him.

"Please don't leave me." Her voice was so quiet it caused Amumu no shortage of worry. He went back and lay down next to her, letting her snuggle a little closer. She was out cold in a matter of seconds, exhaustion overtaking her. Everything seemed to have happened so fast this evening; his mind was still trying to sort out everything that had happened, the good from the bad. In the end it just led to a headache, and he decided it was better to sleep on it. With a final goodnight kiss, he drifted off too, holding Annie close, and vowing that he would make everything better as soon as he could, no matter what it would cost him.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 - A Stranger's Wisdom

Annie was gone. That was the first thing to go through Amumu's mind as he returned to his body the next morning. This caused no small degree of panic as he remembered how fragile she had seemed the night before, but he knew better than to doubt her ability to take care of herself. He just hoped she wouldn't do anything stupid. He got up and made his way into the living area. Still no Annie. Upon his entrance, the large screen they had noticed the night before came to life, an electronic voice speaking to him.

"Welcome Amumu, I am PC26868, but you may call me Veronica." Amumu was a little stunned by the female voice. He had next to no experience with Hextechnology or whatever variation of such this was, but if it introduced itself as a person, it seemed logical that's speaking was his best guess.

"Umm, good morning Veronica. You don't happen to know where Annie is?"

"My records show that she was up about an hour ago. She received her itinerary and left." Amumu thought this over. Surely they didn't have anything to do until later in the morning, she must have needed some fresh air. That made sense after everything that had happened. Amumu figured he'd just meet up at their first event.

"Ok then Veronica, what is my itinerary?"

"I have no input for your itinerary." This wasn't right.

"What do you mean? It should be the same as Annie's."

"Apologise Amumu, but Annie assured me you would not be joining her today." Amumu was taken aback. Sure, things hadn't gone too well last night. Ok, scratch that, last night had been an absolute disaster, but to stop seeing him all together? That was a bit drastic, especially for Annie.

"Can I see Annie's itinerary?"

"I'm afraid that data has been erased." Of course it had, Annie knew him too well. Realising it was unlikely he would be able to find her now, he decided it was better to make the best of the free time he had. Sure, it would have been better spent with Annie, but if she wanted to be alone, hunting her down possibly wasn't the best idea.

"Veronica, I think I'll spend breakfast with Caitlyn or Vi if possible. Do you know if either of them are awake?"

"Both of them are in Caitlyn's room having breakfast. I can announce your arrival if you desire."

"Thankyou Veronica, that would be appreciated." Talking to a voice from a screen, Piltover would never cease to amaze him.

He made his way to Caitlyn's room, finding the door to be open already. He walked in and was instantly engrossed in the deadly silence resting between the companions. In the brief times he had met Vi, he had never known her to be quiet, but that didn't necessarily mean something was wrong. Vi glaring at Caitlyn while the sheriff did everything in her power to break the gaze, now that meant something was wrong. Amumu recalled the events of last night, the male that they had heard in Caitlyn's room, the male she denied having been there. He stood there for a little staring at the two, not sure if coming here to eat breakfast was a good idea after all. A few seconds later footsteps could be heard behind him and a familiar face joined him in the doorway, looking at the two glaring companions.

"Well, somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed." Vi did not take fondly to Jayce's sarcasm, standing up and walking towards him, gauntlets looking menacing as ever as they seemed to grow larger on her hands. She wound up to punch him, dragging her arm back, but Jayce instinctively raised his mercurial hammer to block the incoming blow. They glared at each other a while longer as their weapons clashed, before Vi growled and walked out.

"Have fun with your boyfriend cupcake, I'll be in the bar." And with that she left, leaving a rather bewildered trio in her wake.

"Boyfriend? Does she really believe that?"

"She heard you here last night, she thinks you and I… well…" She spared a glance at Amumu, who just shrugged.

"Hey, no matter what you guys did last night, mine was weirder and worse, so don't stop on my account." Amumu walked in after Jayce and sat in the seat Vi had vacated, eyeing off some of the fruit salad the pair had been nibbling on. Caitlyn offered it to him with a wave, and he started to pick his way through the exotic fruits.

"But that's crazy! If you had any interest in me, you would have shown it a long time ago." His hadn went to his cheek where there was a faint red imprint. There was even the slightest tinge of resentment in his undertone. He had clearly tried before.

"I know that, but you know how she is. She would refuse to listen to reason even if it was yelling in her face." The pair shared a synchronised sigh as Jayce sat down next to Caitlyn, offering her a shoulder to lean on. If Amumu hadn't heard the earlier segment of conversation, he would also have assumed the two were a couple. They seemed so comfortable together. Plus, if he was realistic, both were very attractive individuals, they seemed pretty perfect for each other.

"What happened to you Amumu? And where's Annie?" The mention of her name soured the strange apple he was chewing on. He swallowed, the sensation feeling so foreign to him all of a sudden, as though the mention of his girlfriend had thrown his body off balance.

"It's kind of hard to explain…" This caught their attention a little, distracting them from their own predicament. Realising that they wouldn't settle for his ambiguous little response, he decided to explain the best he could.

"Well, we were admiring the view over Piltover, and then we slowly made our way to bed and we started kissing and… Well…" Jayce raised his hand.

"Too much info, what's the problem?"

"Well, she caught fire. Literally caught fire, her clothes burnt away and I even lost a few bandages." Caitlyn shot up at this, eyes wide.

"Are you two ok? Do you need to see a doctor? What about the room, was anything damaged? I can replace it easily enough."

"No, nothing was damaged aside from a few bandages and Annie's clothes." As he said this he realised how remarkable it truly was that the sheets they had been on hadn't even got singed. Magic truly was the word for it.

"But, when she saw that I had caught fire, she kind of panicked. I calmed her down for long enough last night to get her to sleep, but when I woke up this morning she was gone. Not only that, but she has cleared my itinerary, deciding to attend today's events alone." This last part caused worried looks to cross the faces of the two Piltovians.

"The people won't take too fondly to that, your relationship is pretty much the biggest news around right now. If you two don't show up together… Well, I don't think it'll go too badly, but they'd prefer it if you were together."

"Right now, I think it's probably better I give her some space." Caitlyn nodded, conceding the point.

"What are you going to do instead then?" Jayce asked, still not as convinced as Caitlyn that the idea was acceptable.

"I figured I'd explore the city. We may not be there together, but I can still go meet some of Piltover." Jayce chuckled, smiling to himself.

"You get a day off and you still want to go play the ambassador role? We need more politicians like you my boy." Jayce gave him a solid pat on the back, a friendly gesture that earned a small smile from Amumu. They discussed less serious issues as they continued their breakfast, such as the weather and recent events in Piltover. Caitlyn even shared some of her latest cases with the two, who listened with child-like anticipation. Eventually Amumu dismissed himself, returning to his room. Veronica greeted him upon his arrival, offering him a whole manner of different services, all of which he politely declined.

"Do you know where the nearest market is Veronica?"

"Of course sir, would you like me to take you there."

"You can do that?"

"Certainly sir, I will ensure a vehicle is waiting for you out front." Amumu made a mental note to ask Heimerdinger if he could get one of these new systems for himself, it seemed invaluable.

Once he had gathered a small amount of credits from his small cash store in his bag, he made his way down the stairs and out front. As promised, there was a sleek black vehicle waiting for him outside the gate, a door opening into a spacious cabin that was lined with leather upholstery. There didn't seem to be any way to control the machine, not that Amumu would have known where he was heading anyway. However, once he was inside, a familiar voice sounded over an intricate speaker system.

"The nearest market is in uptown. The trip should take approximately fifteen minutes." Veronica announced as the door closed and the vehicle urged away from the building. There were a couple of small tinted windows Amumu was able to look out of as they travelled, and he found most of his view taken up with buildings. He hadn't noticed it before, but there seemed to be an entire lack of small stores such as in Noxus or Demacia. It was as though every building was a skyscraper.

"Veronica, where are the bakers and stuff? Shouldn't they have shops around here."

"Most of the shops in Piltover are located in several centralised buildings specific to the region. The market places are the only other places one is able to buy fresh produce." Amumu nodded, the prospect somewhat confusing. Piltover was certainly different to anywhere else in Valoran, and he was yet to decide if that was in a good way. While it was certainly efficient and extravagantly modern, he felt it lacked some of the heart the other places had possessed. How strange that the way a city functions could effect one's entire attitude, even after such a short time in it. As estimated, the car pulled to a stop not fifteen minutes later out the front of a massive square teeming with people. There were tents, stalls, caravans and every other portable building possible erected in the large square, and the effect this had on the senses was overwhelming. Smells from all corners of the known world crept into your nose, from the infamous brews of the Frejlord to the sweet delicacies the Yordles had mastered. Performers had travelled from all over the land to partake in the Heartseeker festivities, and this market was not exempt from their spectacles. Acrobats and clown walked among the everyday people, spreading laughter and smiles everywhere they went. However, in spite of this, Amumu felt an overwhelming sense of melancholy, something he hadn't really felt in some time. Something he hadn't really felt since…

It suddenly dawned on him how much Annie's presence had been improving his normally depressive state. He didn't like to think on his curse, the bane of his very existence, but even he had to admit the curse had seemed less oppressive theses past few days. If he was completely honest, he almost felt as though the curse wasn't there, something he never thought he would admit in his lifetime. But now Annie was gone, if only temporary, and he could feel the voices beginning to creep back into his head.

"I will wait here for your return." Veronica announced opening the door for Amumu. He stared out of it for a little, his mind suddenly cloudy and distracted, before he flung his legs out and walked towards the markets. His presence did not go unnoticed, people smiling and pointing, some even coming up to shake his hand or ask for hugs in the case of some of the girls. The more he continued with this the more he wanted to yell at them to go away. Rage was building up inside of him, an agony he hadn't felt in a while. With every hug he was torn between getting angry with the people for invading his space and crying at the risk they took being close to him like this. The curse was returning. He soon stopped acknowledging the people around him, walking forward as though he were, for lack of a better word, a mummy.

He was jerked from his solemn musings when he found himself pulled into one of the market tents, the sunlight fading into a more calming candlelight. He allowed himself to take in the scents, instantly being welcomed by the thousand strange reactions of foreign spices. Some he could pinpoint as Shuriman, while others were simply unrecognisable to the youth. As his attention was drawn to his senses he felt the voices in his head recede, welcoming the clarity he had reclaimed. It had been merely minutes since leaving the vehicle, but for him it had felt like a damned eternity. He took this moment to observe what surrounded him, marvelling at the strange symbols that adorned the fabric of the tent. He could feel the magic emanating from the symbols, unmistakably runic, which did cause concern to flow through him. There was a tall figure toying with some herbs in a dish, which he then spat in, ground some more, and offered to Amumu.

"Chew on these for a little, it'll help relieve the magic." Amumu looked at the man like he was crazy.

"What? Is it the spit? I needed a bit of moisture to soften then up into a paste. Eat, they will help." Reluctantly Amumu did put some of the paste in his mouth, and instantly felt a burst of energy stream through his body. The small residual static in the back of his mind cleared completely, and he was able to accurately observe the man in front of him. He was a little scraggly looking, but had muscled arms which made him look far more intimidating than he would otherwise. The most contrary aspect to this was the goofy smile he wore as he looked at the mummy.

"I never thought I'd get to meet you in person. Where's your friend?" He had a thick accent, which somewhat reminded Amumu of the Laurent family, but his was far deeper and rougher.

"I'm not sure where Annie is, we had a little… misunderstanding." The stranger looked concerned at this, his smile faltering for a moment before returning in full. He pulled over a chair and sat on it backwards, leaning his arms over the back of the seat as he looked at Amumu.

"Well, let's not let it tear you apart. What happened?" The way he spoke reminded Amumu of Braum, who's large heart permitted no small problem to go unsolved. It was for this reason that, in spite of his unfamiliarity with the stranger, confided in him.

"Last night when we were together, she caught on fire by accident. When I woke up this morning she was gone. Really not much more than that. I wasn't hurt, so everything's fine, I just don't understand why she's so upset." The stranger just shook his head.

"I'm going to guess you two were at it when this happened?" Amumu blushed.

"I'm not surprised she caught on fire, she was probably really good at it right? Touched you in all the right places?"

"Stop talking about her like that."

"I can just imagine how she acted, running her hands up your…"

"Enough!" Amumu screamed, bandages unwrapping from around him and towards the stranger, but he had already dodged, anticipating the attack.

"Magic is a fickle thing young one. You must train your mind to control it, yes, but it is always the emotions which dictate it." Amumu slowly realised that his outburst had proved that point. The stranger put a hand on his shoulder, kneeling down to meet Amumu at eye level.

"I'm sorry for what I said. The reason Annie is upset is because she lost control, and she is worried she will continue to lose control." Amumu processed what he said, but he was still confused as to the point.

"So, how does she learn to control it."

"Ha, have you ever forcefully tried to control your emotions? Not possible." Amumu's shoulders slumped at those words.

"So there's no solution…"

"Yes and no." Amumu looked at the stranger with a pleading look, desperate to do whatever it took to get Annie back.

"Will she ever be able to control the magical outbursts, no, controlling your emotions especially under such… _extreme_ conditions is not possible." He stood up and walked over to a small shelf, shuffling through and coming back with something hidden behind his back.

"But, and there is a but, magic is dictated by emotions. So if that emotion is, say, love…" He didn't need to finish. Amumu understood what the stranger was trying to say, although he found it very hard to believe. If he was perfectly honest, all of it was hard too believe. Was the solution really that simple?

The stranger stood up and offered a hand to Amumu, pulling him up to his feet as well. He extended his hand and offered Amumu a small piece of card.

"Is this a recipe or something?"

"No, that is a number of a fancy restaurant. I'd invite Annie there, one of my personal favourites." He led the mummy outside of his tent, offering a hand.

"It has been a pleasure to meet you Amumu." Amumu shook the hand, then realised he still did not know his name.

"If I ever return to Piltover, I'll be sure to find you, and maybe bring Annie along too, mister…"

"Gatterby, and I almost certainly will not be here again. Never visit the same place twice is my motto. But should we meet again, I'll happily welcome you." And with that he re-entered his tent, leaving the mummy once again amongst the crowd of people. The way people were staring and pointing made him think that his negative mood earlier that morning had been more noticeable than he expected. He smiled and waved at a few people, lightening the mood a little. He decided to do what he was expected to do, mingling his way through the crowd, spreading his presence amongst those who desired it. Warwick was right about one thing; Annie and himself were having a massive effect on the people. Everybody seemed happier, more youthful, hopeful even. Or was that him that was changing? Was it both?

Eventually he made his way back to the vehicle, Veronica opening the door upon his arrival as he stepped inside.

"Veronica, I need you to call Annie." There was a pause before the AI responded.

"I'm afraid mistress Annie has requested no calls during this day."

"Veronica, this is important, I need you to try." Another pause, which made Amumu concerned she was going to say no again. After what felt like a minute of silence, a different voice played over the speakers.

"Hey…" Annie sounded tired, which Amumu thought was probably fair. She did have a terrible night.

"I know you probably didn't want to talk to me today, but I think I have a solution to our problem. Are you free for dinner this evening?" More silence.

"Are you sure you want to? I could have hurt you Amumu, and I could do it again, I don't know what to do."

"No Annie, you wouldn't have hurt me, you never would have. I'll explain it all tonight, just please come to dinner with me?" Yet another extended silence. Amumu was beginning to really hate the lack of noise.

"Ok, I'll go." He breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"Thankyou, I promise, everything will be ok." This time there was a mutual silence as both were unsure as to whether to hang up.

"I missed you today Annie." Amumu could swear he heard crying on the other end, but Annie's response suggested otherwise.

"I missed you too." And with that Veronica hung up, earning a look from Amumu.

"You two would have continued like that forever if I didn't do something."

"Fair enough, I need you to make another call."

"Who to?" Amumu looked at the card Gatterby had given him, a smile creeping across his face.

 **Hey guys, it's me. Now, I was torn for a long time as to whether or not I should include my dear Gatterby in this story. Moral of story, he is an OC, and he has his own story and concept I've been working on for months. It was actually in response to the lack of versatility in the adc roll as well as the potential meta-shifts as the result of small changes in gameplay, like the runeglaive buff and cinderhulk nerf resulting in a move away from the tank meta so an entirely different, early-game focussed meta at the higher-tiers of play.**

 **TL;DR, Gatterby is an OC I have put A LOT of thought into, and will possibly write another story about in the future. If anyone is actually interested in my thinking behind him and my proposed kit, send me a PM and I will happily discuss it with you.**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 - Reconciliation

Annie definitely did not fit in. The sun had just set and the streets were beginning to fill with people heading out for a good time. She knew she shouldn't have arrived early, but she wasn't prepared to face Amumu back at the apartment so had left early. She was somewhat glad Amumu rang her when he did, as it gave her time to go shopping for a dress, eventually choosing a flowing purple one which the shop keep claimed was 'endorsed by the sheriff of Piltover'. She wasn't usually one to go for this kind of dress, she found it very revealing and often felt she didn't have that body type, but she decided to take a risk.

 _Couldn't be a bigger screw up then last night._ She cringed at the thought, unconsciously rubbing her shoulders as she felt a chill run up her spine. She had never felt this way before. If she had to associate it with another emotion she'd have said loss, but Amumu was still there and seemed happy enough. Was it because she felt she couldn't have the type of relationship she expected? Well, he was kind of a mummy anyway, so she wasn't sure what she had expected to be perfectly honest. She'd been thinking on this all day, and was no closer to an epiphany.

A hand fell on her shoulder and she turned, expecting to see Amumu but being met with a different, yet familiar, face.

"Annie! It's great to see you again! How was Noxus? They weren't too horrible there were they?" Annie had to supress the urge to tell Lux that her own brother was apparently dating a Noxian, figuring that would probably lead to no shortage of arguments. Instead she just put on a strained smile.

"It was actually really nice. The Du Couteaus weren't actually that bad, Cass was especially positive?"

"Snake lady? Really? She takes me as the one who would eat rather than greet her guests." Lux's face clearly expressed her feelings about the Noxian, a scowl barely clawing at her face before she brushed it away smiling.

"Lux, where'd you go?" Ezreal came pushing through the crowd and almost ran straight into Annie.

"Sorry! I was looking all over for you, I lost you in the crowd."

"I just stopped to talk to Annie." Ezreal looked down at the young girl, offering her his typically charming smile that made so many girls throughout Runeterra weak in the knees.

"I hope Piltover has been treating you well Annie, some people find it a little challenging on their first visit." He gave Lux a knowing smile, causing her to huff a little and turn away, a story clearly existing around Ezreal's comment.

"Anyway, where's Amumu? I would have expected you two would be dining together."

"We are, he's just…"

"Behind you." The sound of Amumu's voice made Annie jump, and she quickly pivoted on her toes to face her boyfriend. They stood there looking at each other for a moment before Annie ran over and wrapped her arms around his neck, weeping softly onto his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry." She pulled him even closer, the two now attracting a little bit of attention.

"Annie, I meant it then and I mean it now, I am fine and there is nothing to worry about." She slowly pulled away, a couple of tears still in her eyes, but a smile now on her face. Amumu even thought she looked a little brighter, as if some of that fire that kept her going had returned to her body.

"You two are adorable!" Lux semi-screamed from next to them, jumping up and down with excitement. Even Ezreal was smiling at the small display of romance.

"Come on you two, let's head in. You are here for the restaurant, right?" Amumu nodded, taking Annie's arm in his own, and following the elder couple into the restaurant. When Veronica had informed Annie of where they were going, she had inquired as to some more information about the place. Apparently it was run by an elderly yordle couple that moved out to Piltover with their daughter, who was to study under Heimerdinger. With them they brought years of cooking tradition and knowledge, which they taught to a select group of chefs, most of who still worked at the restaurant, but some of whom now ran their own restaurants. It was a pretty phenomenal effort on the behalf of the two yordles, and they had received many awards for their contribution. The influence from Bandle City was evident as soon as they entered the room, potted plants and climbing roses adorning the walls and some furniture to give it a very natural feeling. There were beautiful painted landscapes of the fields around Bandle city, including the mountains that separated them from the harsh Voodoo lands. Every table looked ancient and intricate, as though hand carved from trees from the Fey. To add to the atmosphere, every table seemed to be taken up with couples, lovers looking for a good night out with their partners. Luxanna and Ezreal seemed to fit in perfectly, wrapping their arms around each other, staring into each other's eyes in the way that used to make Annie feel sick. They were an ideal couple, and a complete contrast to her and Amumu. They were walking arm in arm, sure, but there was an obviously awkward air to it, as though they were new to it, which to be perfectly honest they were. Ezreal, to his credit, was doing what he could to lighten the mood.

"You are going to love the cooking here, they do the best stews and winter dishes, although my personal favourite is their seafood, which apparently they buy fresh from Bilgewater fishermen. Can you believe it?" Annie and Amumu nodded their understanding. Realising that his efforts were possibly in vain, he went back to staring at Lux, making her blush.

Eventually they were greeted by a fancy yordle in a black suit and curly black moustache, looking at them with a cheesy smile.

"Ah, champions, welcome to our dear establishment. I trust you have made a booking?" Ezreal spoke up first.

"Yeah, under the name Ezreal, should be over near the window." The yordle had a quick look at his register before turning back to Ezreal.

"Right you are sir, I'll get someone to show you there." He clicked his fingers and another yordle waiter seemed to appear from nowhere, leading them away.

"Have fun you two!" Lux offered as she disappeared to their table. Now it was Amumu's turn.

"I have a booking under Amumu, it's supposed to be a private room." The yordle once again checked his register, and then hopped off the podium that Annie hadn't noticed he was standing on until now. He really was a small yordle.

"Certainly sir, would you two please follow me." He led them through the restaurant, the number of people slowly dwindling as they kept walking. Annie hadn't realised exactly how large this place was. Eventually they reached a small archway and were led out into a small courtyard like area, open to the night sky with what looked like a giant fountain surrounding it. The only way in and out of the room was through that archway and they had to walk over a small wooden bridge to reach the middle. In the centre was a table and chairs, all set out perfectly. Annie thought she was in a dream; everything just seemed too surreal to be possible. Amumu was just smiling to himself

"I will send a waiter in about fifteen minutes, that should give you time to read the menu and make your choices." He said before leaving. Amumu walked over and pulled out one of the chairs, offering it to Annie. She ignored the chair and went straight for him, kissing him with undeniable passion.

"How did you manage this, it will cost you a fortune! You really didn't have to do this."

"Annie, for you, I'd do anything." She was sure the way she was looking at him, eyes wide and slightly teary, mouth slightly agape at the words he'd uttered was anything but attractive, but she didn't care at that moment.

"Besides, the restaurants number was given to me by a… well, a friend I guess. I called it expecting it to be a restaurant like he said, but instead got one of the managers. Once I mentioned who I was, they insisted on paying for everything. I refused of course, no way I could be so cheap, but I did ask if they could reserve me their best room." He looked up towards the sky, stars beginning to come out.

"They certainly haven't disappointed."

They stood in each other's embrace for another few minutes before Annie finally accepted the seat from Amumu, the mummy taking his own seat across from her. They quickly read over the menu, discussing some of the strange meals listed, before finally coming to a decision on what to eat. Annie knew that everything Amumu was saying about food and wanting to eat was completely false, he didn't need to eat and she was fairly sure he never got hungry, but she felt incomprehensibly happy that he was doing so much to make her feel happy. She was beginning to think she probably had the best boyfriend in the world. The waiter came fifteen minutes later as promised, took their order, and before they knew it they were enjoying what as beyond a doubt the greatest meal they had ever had. One of the waiter's came back not long after carrying with him a paper-wrapped gift.

"Courtesy of the managers, for your meal." He offered them the gift and exited the room. Unwrapping it, Annie and Amumu noticed it to be a bottle of champagne. Annie remembered the taste she had back at Cass' place, the tingly feeling she had experienced. Amumu attempted to read the label, but it was in a foreign language Amumu did not understand.

"I have no idea how good this is, but it looks to be imported, so I guess that's a sign of quality." The waiter returned, this time carrying with him a set of glasses.

"Terribly sorry, almost forgot the glasses."  
"Excuse me, could you tell us where this is from?" The waiter nodded and reached for the bottle, quickly reading the label.

"My oh my, this is from Glarin, in Ionia. It is supposed to be one of the best quality beverages in Valoran, you should consider yourself very fortunate, few ever even get to taste such a drink."

"Would you like to try it first? We are not really good with champagne, you could tell us how good it is." The Yordle looked at Annie wide-eyed, as though she had offered him a fortune, not a drink. It was obvious the simple waiter had never imagined he'd get to try something like this in his lifetime.

"Are you sure? It is very good quality, and should be enjoyed by you two."

"Please, we insist." Annie offered him her glass, which he accepted graciously. With a loud pop he opened the bottle, pouring himself a sip before twirling it in the glass. He gave it a sniff, a smile crossing his face before he took the sip. He was silent for a moment before he sighed.

"That is simply to die for my lady." Annie smiled at the grateful look the waiter gave her, before asking him to pour her and Amumu a glass. He did so, then bowed before taking his leave, no doubt going to tell his friends about the privilege he had been given. The couple gave each others a small 'cheers' before taking a sip. While the drink at the Du Couteaus' place was nice, this was something else all together. It tasted like spring, flowers and fresh grass smells flooding Annie's mind as the golden liquid flowed down her throat. The aftertaste was sweet, but with a hint of a cinnamon like spice. While Amumu had coughed at his first alcoholic beverage, this one was simply too good to gag at. His eyes lit up as he took his first sip.

"That is some form of magic, I swear." Was all he could offer as an explanation, earning him a little laugh from Annie. They rebottled the drink; they were still not prepared to drink too much.

Once their meals were finished and cleared, Amumu moved his chair so he could sit next to Annie, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. They both stared at the stars twinkling above, losing themselves in the moment. It was Annie who eventually moved, puling away and standing up, earning her a frown from Amumu.

"Relax, I just need to go to the toilet, I'll be right back, I promise." She leant over and gave him a small kiss to reassure him. As she walked back down the hallst o re-join Amumu, she couldn't help but look at some of the other rooms. The private rooms were all clearly themed, some enclosed with beautiful gems for lighting, some surrounded by thick foliage. Most were empty, a testament to how much these rooms probably cost. However, another one was in use, and the couple in there were clearly not having a good time.

"Please, I said I'm sorry, I made a mistake. I'm trying to make it up to you right now, can you please just give me a chance."

"Huh, small chance cupcake, maybe you should go ask your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend! You know I don't go for that."

"Then why the hell was he there!?" A sound similar to a fist coming down on a table could be heard, and Annie couldn't resist going for a peep. Only one person she knew had the nickname cupcake, and only one person ever used that nickname.

"He was there because I was scared."

"Of what? Spending a night alone all? Don't give me that, we know each other better than that."

"Because I thought that maybe you weren't interested in me anymore!" Annie could just make out Vi and Caitlyn in their room. This one seemed to be set up in the appearance of a forest, thick trunked trees surrounding a clearing with what seemed like glow-bugs lighting the room. Again Annie found herself marvelling at the sublime setting, before remembering the pair in the middle. Caitlyn looked on the verge of tears, while Vi was looking a little taken aback by her partner's last comment.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I am boring, uptight, and pretty much everything you hate! I know you hate stuff like this, romantic dinners and formal occasions, but that's who I am. And I was just so worried that you were getting bored of it." Caitlyn burst into tears.

"What does that have to do with Jayce?"

"I asked him over for advice, I just needed someone to help me, someone other than you. I was in a really bad place, and when he held me, I kissed him. I regretted it as soon as I did so, I even slapped him. Then you got home, and he was there, and I knew what you'd think, and I didn't want you to know I was having doubts, so I lied, and…" She was in tears by the time she finished, Vi awkwardly moving around to put her arms around them. It was then Annie had another of her bold ideas.

She rushed back into her room and picked up the bottle of champagne.

"We aren't really likely to drink the rest of this are we?" Amumu shook his head, not sure why she was asking.

"Mind if I offer it to somebody who needs it a lot more than we do?"

"When you say it like that, there's only one right answer." Annie smiled mischievously. She leant over to whisper in his ear.

"I hope your solution works, because you deserve a reward." Yep, she was in that crazy bold state again. She rushed off to the room with Vi and Caitlyn, bursting in without bothering to warn them. Vi instantly looked up, frowning at Annie's appearance. Caitlyn was still too distracted crying. Realising the opportunity, she crept to Vi trying not to disturb Caitlyn who was too distraught to notice.

"What are you doing here!?" Vi mouthed desperately, her head spinning a little.

"Helping, here's a gift. She really likes you, and Jayce really did get slapped. Just try to be nice, ok?" And with that she ran off again, stopping to peep around the corner at the other two. Vi awkwardly offered Caitlyn the bottle, gasping as she recognised the label. Vi clearly tried to say something which Annie couldn't make out, then found herself kissing the sheriff. Figuring she had seen enough, Annie turned to run off, but bumped into someone as she tried.

"Annie, what are you doing?" Lux stared down at Annie, a little confused. Annie just smiled and nodded behind her.

"Sorting out some issues." She really wanted to return to Amumu, so she walked past Lux who was making her way over to look in the room. She stopped herself just before she lost sight of Lux.

"Oh, and your brother says he's sorry." This caught Lux off guard, but Annie was gone before she could be forced to answer any questions.

Back in her room, Amumu had barely moved. Annie went over and set herself down next to him, breathing a heavy sigh.

"Where did you rush off to?" Annie just smiled.

"It's amazing actually how much you can do in such a short amount of time." She started ticking off a mental checklist of things she meant to do. Help Caitlyn and Vi, tick. Tell Lux about Garen's apology, tick. Enjoy her night with Amumu, in progress. She smiled at the train of thought, snuggling up to her boyfriend.

"This night is so perfect." Amumu leant over and gave her a small kiss on the forehead.

"And it's still so young." He wrapped his hand around Annie's using it to pull them even closer until she could feel his heart beating through his chest. It had a slow and steady rhythm, which calmed Annie somewhat. The only other sound they could hear was the flowing water in the background. They probably stayed like that for an hour, never uttering a word, simply content in each other's company.

"I love you Annie." She could have cried in that moment, but instead put all her emotion into one long and desperate embrace.

"I love you too."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 - Beginning of the Future

The walk back to the hotel seemed to last a small eternity, but Amumu wouldn't have it any other way. There was a slight breeze blowing in from the sea, which made Annie physically shiver as she walked by his side. As he was a mummy, he didn't wear a coat, the bandages prevented any cold from sinking in, although in this case he wished he did carry such things with him. The dress Annie was wearing had been on Amumu's mind for the first part of the walk. Part of him really wanted to just stare, the sight certainly appealing to him, but he maintained his dignity and kept his eyes forward. Annie had insisted she would be fine in spite of the cold, saying that she'd rather brave the breeze than have Veronica come pick them up. Amumu had to agree with, he wanted some privacy as well. The streets themselves were surprisingly quiet, which was probably a result of how late it actually was. Thankfully the restaurant was not too far from their apartment, and didn't require travelling outside of the upper-district, so they felt fairly safe. Sure enough, after a short twenty minutes of walking, they found themselves walking up the steps towards their room. By the time they reached the top, they were both a little weary from the numerous steps. They both hoped the elevator would be fixed soon. They made their way down to their room, the halls extremely quiet, probably a sign nobody else had returned home yet despite the lateness of the hour. Once inside, the two made their way over to the large couch and let their bodies flop onto the soft cushions.

"That was a brilliant dinner, I don't think anything will be able to beat that." Annie offered.

"Yeah, really all the food has been great this trip. We should volunteer to represent the Institute more often." A nervous laugh escaped the two. They both knew they were beating around the bush, their bodies getting more and more frustrated the longer it went on. Annie was looking significantly more nervous than Amumu, who seemed to have an air of confidence to him. Annie hoped that was faith in his solution.

"Do you trust me?" The question caught Annie off guard.

"Of course I do! Why would you even need to…" He cut her off with a kiss, the two slowly falling back onto the couch as they wrapped their arms around each other. Annie felt herself giving into him before she snapped herself out of it, pulling away.

"No, Amumu, what if it happens again? I need to know the solution first." He sighed before sitting up, looking at the still prone Annie.

"You need to let me finish before you comment, ok?" She nodded.

"There isn't a solution."

"What!?" Amumu shot her a glare, and she remembered her promise. She looked away a little ashamed as Amumu continued.

"The fire is as much a part of you as your arms and legs. The fire from yesterday was an instinctual emotional response, you couldn't control that." Annie looked shattered. She had assumed this was probably the case, but she didn't want to admit it. She couldn't accept that she would never be able to make love, whether that be to someone new or her boyfriend that she couldn't dream of leaving. Amumu brushed a hand along Annie's cheek, regaining her attention.

"But, as a friend of mine so eloquently put it, your magic is dictated by your emotions. If that emotion was desire or love, then your fire should manifest those emotions, and not harm the other person." Annie looked anything but convinced.

"Should? You are willing to risk yourself on a theory you aren't convinced on?" Amumu gave her another look, Annie realising once again she had broken her promise, but this time she didn't care.

"Yes, I am willing to take that risk. I trust you." He leant back down and the two resumed kissing. Annie was torn, part of her screamed at her that Amumu could get badly hurt, and she knew she probably wouldn't forgive herself if it happened again, but she did trust him, and he trusted her. In the end she gave up on resisting, giving into the emotions she was feeling and throwing herself at Amumu.

He felt the tension leave her as she pulled him in closer in an attempt to have as much of her body touching him as possible. He didn't resist, obviously, instead choosing to rub his hand along her back, stopping around the neck where he knew she was ticklish. He didn't want to ruin the moment with childish actions, but the way she squirmed when he gently brushed it caused him no shortage of pleasure. She let out a long moan, which she had probably been holding in from the beginning, and Amumu took it as a sign to go further. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, toying playfully with hers, each wrestling for control, but happy to submit as well just for the pleasure it gave them. Amumu could feel a warmth beginning to spread up his legs, and instinct told him what it was. Annie seemed to notice too and started to pull back a little, but Amumu wouldn't allow it. In what Annie would forever label the cruellest trick he had ever pulled, he suddenly reversed their positions, falling over onto his back while pulling Annie on top of him, while being sure to move his leg between hers as he did so, rubbing the place he knew would cause the biggest reaction. The contact caused Annie to yelp in surprise, the fire on her body shooting to a new intensity as Amumu laughed. He held up his arms to Annie.

"See, completely unharmed." Annie's lower body was burning, her stomach pleading for more, but that was simply background noise to the joy she felt. Amumu had been right; her fire would not harm him.

Any hint of restraint left her in that moment and she resumed their session, now simply determined to build her fire as much as possible. She leant on Amumu's chest, moving her legs so that she was straddling him, then pulled back and smiled at him.

"That was a nasty little trick you just pulled." He smiled back.

"I figured it was probably the best way to get a reaction." He moved his body underneath her and she again felt that burning sensation, the brighter fire causing her to close her eyes. She took the initiative and pulled Amumu's face towards her own, once again starting a long and passionate kiss. She didn't notice the way her hips instinctively moved along his body, or how her legs clung around Amumu's with a fierce grip that would hurt most other men. All she felt was a primal, lust-filled desire and an ever-present longing for whom she was with. She didn't know how it happened, but sometime during this Amumu had managed to get her into the bedroom, and they were now on top of the sheets where they had been the night before, only this time there was no ruining the moment for them. They continued to make out for some time, Annie absent-mindedly grinding herself against Amumu until, with a final flare of fire and a satisfied scream from Annie, she fell limp on top of him, a smile firmly plastered upon her face. She was breathing heavily, clearly exhausted, but managed to find her voice.

"That was amazing." Amumu still had his arms wrapped around Annie's now extinguished body. He had completely forgotten that her dress would not be as fortunate as he was to escape Annie's magic, which resulted in him lying next to her completely naked figure. He looked away, confusing Annie.

"What's wrong?"

"Your dress didn't make it." Annie looked herself over, realising what he meant. She hadn't even noticed. She rolled on over him and onto his other side so that his eyes met hers.

"You don't have to keep looking away you know, you will probably see a lot more of this in the future." They both blushed. Mature as they may be for their age, they were still young, and with that came some degree of innocence.

Annie's breathing had finally stabilised and she eventually fell asleep with her head on Amumu's chest, not even bothering to find a pair of pyjamas. This led to her having a little bit of a start the next morning before remembering what had happened to her clothes, and noting the pair of arms lovingly wrapped around her. She would have more than willingly laid there forever, convinced that life could not get better than this. But alas life does go on, and soon they found themselves being interrupted.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but your ship for Ionia is leaving in three hours, and it would be best if you prepared for your travels." Veronica's voice was not exactly devoid of emotions, but indifferent to how exposed the two youth were. They slowly, with no small degree of reluctance, separated and went about preparing for their trip. Amumu volunteered to find some breakfast, leaving Annie to finish packing the bags, which seemed reasonable since most of the mess was hers anyway. Once she was finished with her bag, she went about packing Amumu's. She was very careful not to damage the beautiful glasses Warwick had given them, placing clothes around the box delicately before she came upon something different. It was a small pink box, wrapped nicely with a delicate ribbon. There was something eerie about it, an undeniable magic surrounding it. What was it? Was it supposed to be for her?

Amumu chose this moment to re-enter, carrying with him what smelt like some kind of pastry. Seeing Annie with the small package caused him to panic a little, rushing over and almost snatching it from Annie's hand. He stopped himself when he realised how that would look.

"What is this Mumu?" He thought of the best way to explain it.

"It's something special, and was supposed to be a surprise." He leant over and took it from her hands.

"And I intend to keep it that way. I'll give it to you eventually, but now isn't really the time." Annie's curiosity had certainly been piqued, but by the way Amumu explained it led her to think it was probably going to be something rather romantic. She supposed she could continue to wait. Amumu finished packing his own bag, offering the warm pastry to Annie who devoured it greedily. Last night had taken a surprisingly large amount of energy out of her. She smiled contently at the memory. While the thought of the two of them making love as they did last night would seem peculiar to some, to her it was the most natural thing she'd ever known. She pondered this for some time, trying to store every detail of the experience to memory, when she realised something; Had Amumu felt the same way? He had his own form of magic, but somehow his had not reacted anywhere near as violently as Annie's had.

"Hey Mumu, how did you feel last night?" He stopped packing to look back at Annie, confusion evident on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I caught on fire, but your magic didn't really react. I mean, your anger and despair cause your magic to react, so why didn't you react last night?" Amumu sighed, playing with the bandages on his arm.

"Is it to do with your bandages?" He got up and, walking over to Annie, kissed her firmly on the lips. It was a little unexpected, but Annie kissed him back.

"It's kind of complicated, but I do love you Annie, and that's what matters." For a moment Annie swore she saw something behind the yellow eyes and bandages of her boyfriend, pale skin and black hair, beautiful hazel eyes which glowed with a similar alluring quality. Instinctively Annie reached for Amumu's hand and dug her fingers beneath his bandages. He tried to pull away, but Annie's grip did not falter.

"Annie, please, stop!" Amumu seemed a little panicked but she didn't listen, her fingers eventually finding their way beneath the innermost layers of bandages.

Her heart almost stopped at the touch; flesh. It was cold, dangerously so, but a faint pulse could still be felt. Amumu just looked horrified at what Annie had done, not sure what to say.

"You're alive." Her grip loosened and fell away, Amumu instantly retracting his hand. He walked over and sat on the end of the bed as though in a trance. Annie joined him but wasn't sure what she could say to cheer him up.

"I'm not alive, at least I shouldn't be. My heart does not beat fast enough to sustain my body, and I don't need sleep or food to go on. The only thing that keeps me in this state is my magic." He held his hands up in front of his face, admiring the many overlaps and ridges they formed.

"These bandages were not my doing, they came with this magic. I fear that, should I lose them, the magic will vanish as well." Annie listened to all of this intently, knowing she was probably the only person Amumu had ever confided such knowledge in.

"Do you know where the magic came from?" Amumu had a look Annie had seen numerous times before. It was the one he pulled when he tried to remember his past, always at the edge of his mind, but never able to come to the forefront. She knew how much it tore at him.

"No, it's all a blur. But as long as these bandages are here, my sensations are numbed. I love you Annie, and I love doing the stuff I do with you, but I will never be able to feel the same kind of pleasure you feel." Annie expected him to cry, but he was stalwart in his judgement, as though he had already come to terms with this fact. She was not as prepared to accept that.

"We will have a whole week in Ionia, I'm sure we'll come up with something."

"Annie, no, I don't want to risk toying with this magic. If something goes wrong and I… I won't leave you, not now, not ever."

"But…"

"No buts! Promise me, I need to hear you say it." Annie could only stare at her boyfriend. She knew why he was doing this, and in his situation she would probably do the same thing. But if there was a way to get him back to normal, could she really promise to forego it?

"Alright, I promise. I just want you to be happy." Amumu smiled and put his arm around Annie.

"I am happy, for the first time I can remember. You don't need to do anything else besides stay with me." She couldn't possibly argue against a statement like that. They shared a quick kiss before resuming their packing, trying to put their conversation behind them, although the figure she'd seen haunted Annie a little. He was roughly Amumu's build, and even if he didn't have all the little things she loved about Amumu, he was devilishly handsome. She smiled to herself, figuring this could be her little secret.

They made their way out of the apartment not long after, heading to Caitlyn's apartment. Voices could be heard inside, so the two made their own way in. Sitting at the bench, laughing over breakfast, were Vi and Caitlyn. None of the anger and anguish of yesterday was present between the two, anyone seeing them for the first time would assume they were a perfect couple. Caitlyn was wearing her typical purple colour, although in far more casual clothes than her normal working attire. Vi on the other hand was sporting black leather, a look she pulled off perfectly.

"Hey there guys, how was last night?" The pair snickered, Annie suddenly wondering if the room was as soundproof as she'd assumed. Amumu managed to keep his composure a lot better than Annie, who was already a bright red.

"It was quite nice. Are you guys going to take us to the harbour?" Caitlyn shook her head, wrapping her hand in Vi's.

"We actually have something we have to go do, but Veronica will be able to get you there safely enough. You still have some time though, so please join us." The four of them spent the morning together catching up, glad that any negative attitudes from the earlier two days had finally been lifted and they could just chat as friends. Eventually Vi had to leave, offering Amumu a hug and Annie a quick kiss on the lips.

"If he can't kiss better than that, he isn't worth it." Vi added with a wink at her girlfriend before making her way out the door. Annie was still a little stunned at Vi's actions, but as she thought more about it, she decided Amumu was a million times better. Caitlyn looked embarrassed at her partner's actions.

"Sorry, she likes to make sure everyone knows the way she swings, and has no dignity towards how she does so." Caitlyn entertained them for a while longer, but eventually they had to be on their way. With a final lot of goodbyes, the pair made their way out front, where a vehicle was waiting for them. Thirty minutes later they were pushing their way through a crowd of Piltovians desperate to get tickets to the celebrations in Ionia, as well as a few just wanting to meet the famous couple. They really hadn't been together much during their public time in Piltover, so a larger group than anticipated had turned out today. Eventually they made their way onto the ship, and not long after out at sea, leaving the mainland of Valoran behind them.

That afternoon the pair stood at the back of the ship, overlooking the seemingly endless sea in front of them. There was something calming about the sight, even though it made them feel small. As though all their little issues and insecurities were only minor in the grand scheme of things. Annie thought on the way she criticised herself, ashamed in the way she looked and acted, and finally decided none of that mattered. She had Amumu, and that was all she'd ever need. Amumu on the other hand couldn't bring his thoughts away from his hand, the sensation of truly feeling somebody's touch flowing over him. The truth was that he was afraid. He didn't understand how his curse worked, or whether it was in fact a curse. Perhaps the only reason he responded to anger and sorrow was because he could feel those within his bandages, the lack of true feeling encouraging such emotions. Without really realising it, Annie had broken down a wall of insecurity and pain that Amumu had intricately constructed over many years of tortured experience, opening the floodgates to a past that Amumu thought he had forgotten. He tightened his grip around Annie's waist, and she in turn snuggled back into his chest a little.

 _At least this time I won't face these it alone._ Amumu lent down and delicately kissed Annie's neck, trailing them up from her collarbone until he eventually met her lips. She sighed contentedly.

"You know how to make a girl feel loved." Amumu let a smile cross his concerned features.

"I hope to make you feel that way for a long time."

"You are too sweet, and here I was thinking I couldn't possibly love you any more than I already do." The pair chuckled a little, more than prepared for what was to come.

 **And thus concludes my little story. The timing couldn't be better, my last exam is tomorrow (French... not my best subject) which makes me feel like this really was a de-stress program. On that note, any of you out there going through a hard time, write! Sometimes being able to project your problems onto a fictional character really helps you to come to terms with things and stay on the positive side. As an example, just prior to the exam period I got dumped, and I wrote those last two chapters while also studying French after the atrocities that happened there. These things should bring a man down, but I feel good, and I feel a lot of it has to do with writing. I highly recommend it to you guys :)**

 **Anyway, the story. Obviously it is not perfect by any means, re-reading it I found it a little repetitive, brief in stages, and dragged out in others. I suppose I am highly critical of my work, but I feel I have the right to be. Also, this was originally written on something different, and the spacing seems to have gotten a little messed up in stages. I tried to rectify it in stages, but if one paragraph seems absurdly long, it may be that I forgot to fix it, sorry. If any of you wants to see more work from me, you will actually make my day, and I would ask you to send me a PM telling me why, and hopefully so I can get to know you a little better as well.**

 **As for the future, there are so many allusions to other stories, epic and minute, which I could explore, whether through one-shots or another story like this. I may do an ongoing one which I update as I go, but I am horrible with deadlines, so that may frustrate some of you. Some of the primary ones I want to look into are:**

 **-Gatterby. Seriously, I have put so much thought into this guys, and I would love to get him out there to you guys.**

 **-Vayne x Lucian. There is a little bit of awkwardness there because of Senna and everything, but I have actually started on an epic story concerning our beloved purifier and another OC who has a dark streak. May post it, may not, will decide after a couple of chapters.**

 **-Lux x Ez / Garen x Kat / Cass x Talon / Vi x Caitlyn x Jayce. They are all cute, one-shot potential is there.**

 **-Amumu x Annie. THESE GUYS ARE ANYTHING BUT FINISHED! What is the small pink package? Will Annie keep her promise? What happens in Ionia? What was Amumu's past? So much still to explore, and I refuse to give up on my two little lovebirds. You may also note that this chapter does not feel like an 'end' so to speak. I mean, Amumu has flesh! Where is this leading? D:**

 **So yeah, thankyou for taking the time to read. This has been BJ, and I'm out...**

 **DOOOOOOOOITZ (If you don't get this, google SP4ZIE and watch all the videos!)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Wait, BJ is actually going to continue this story? Of course I am!**

 **So, I hope you all enjoyed the first part of the trilogy that is going to be The Heartseekers. If you wanted aimless fluffiness, you may want to turn back now, the story is about get a tad more serious (mostly because I've been thinking of the story line now rather than making it up between exams). Obviously it is mostly still lovely Amumu x Annie, but what story doesn't have an antagonist.**

 **Some of you may also note there is some connected themes between this and my other story Sentimental. While I have to encourage you to read that too (I'm selling myself, sue me), it's certainly not necessary for this story, just so you know. :)**

 **Anyway, since this will be getting serious and Sintimental was never fluffy, I'm open to more one-shot ideas, fluffy or smutty (Read A Mutual Solution for an example of the latter [Yes, I'm still selling myself, deal with it!])**

 **Anyway, welcome back to The Heartseekers, please enjoy the ride.**

Chapter 15 - An Ionian Welcome

Where Piltover's beauty came from its grandeur and modern design, Ionia's came from its simple eloquence and ancient atmosphere. The moment the ship had arrived in the main port, Annie had been hooked on the view. Just past the small port she could see the capitol of Ionia, temples and buildings reaching towards the sky in intricate spiralling patterns. There were no squares and rectangles like the city-scape the couple had come from, everything seemed chaotic, but with a hidden order. Annie was stirred from her trance by the all to familiar feeling of arms wrapping around her waist. She instinctively leant her head back, settling into the Amumu's chest like she had a thousand other times during the day long trip to Ionia.

"You looked like a small child in a candy store." Annie smiled at the analogy, looking up into Amumu's eyes.

"Don't tell me you don't think the view is stunning." He didn't need to respond, his eyes said it all. He could not look away from the scenery, instead opting to pull Annie closer as he took in all the intricacies Annie had observed not moments earlier. They continued in silence as the ship pulled into the docks, people beginning to make their way across the bridges and onto the jetty, many greeting loved ones as they did so. Annie could make out fathers returning from work to their families, couples muttering in awe at their first glance of Ionia, as well as many other people making their way through the crowd in anticipation, desperate to get to the city centre where the main festivities were taking place. As if on cue, a whizzing sound could be heard in the distance, and many eyes instinctively made their way in the direction. They were greeted by a loud bang as the sky was filled with rose coloured sparkles, the firework earning many awe-filled gasps from the newcomers. Even Annie could not supress her joy.

"It's beautiful."

"Let's go get a closer look then." Amumu grabbed Annie by the arm, pulling her through the crowd as she tried to keep hold of her bag. It reminded Annie of all the times she had done the exact same thing to him as kids, dragging him along to some typically pointless location as he would simply remain silent, letting her lead the way. Nostalgia gripped her and she found herself laughing as she was pulled along, the sound of fireworks getting louder overhead.

The city centre was expectedly packed, barely a square inch of space available between the group of people. That didn't seem to matter however, as people were more than willing to step aside and make what little space they could available for the couple they had heard so much about. As soon as Amumu and Annie had reached the square, they'd been ambushed by people wanting to greet them. They were asked for hugs, autographs, questions, amongst other seemingly benign actions, but they soaked in every second of it, taking all the publicity with locked hands and a communal sense of pride.

"Come here!" The voice was loud enough to be heard over the crowd, and before Amumu could react, a large figure in pink robes and a mask swooped past, lifting Annie up and placing her upon his shoulders. Amumu instantly leapt over and caught her bag, readying his magic as he did so, but relaxed when he realised what was going on. The man on stilts moved with unquestionable precision, the routine clearly one he had rehearsed numerous times before. Annie was holding onto the man's shoulders white faced, but even Amumu could see the slight etchings of a smile on the corner of her mouth. Soon the first figure was joined by a second, likewise in a pink robe, mask and on stilts, but this one was unquestionable female. The surrounding crowd had slowly stepped backwards, making room for the spectacle, save Amumu who now stood in the centre of the stilted-lovers' dance. The man pirouetted away and, in act of strength, flung Annie into the air. She screamed, and Amumu instantly ran to catch her, throwing his bandages to help break her fall. She fell softly into his arms, completely unharmed, as the two figures finished up their routine, coming to a stop in each other's arms. They bowed deeply to the crowd before turning towards the young couple. The female was the first to remove her mask.

"Thought you weren't going to react quick enough there for a moment, was ready to jump in and catch her." Akali walked over and helped the man remove his mask, revealing another familiar face in Shen.

"You perhaps, I never lost faith in the young one. He is far more in balance than most." Akali gave Shen a gentle punch in the shoulder before turning her attention back to the youth.

"Welcome to Ionia, home of the Heartseeker festival! Come, let us show you to where you'll be staying." Akali and Shen began to walk across the square, people making a path for the stilted couple as they walked. Annie and Amumu followed closely behind, chatting excitedly about the spectacle they had just witnessed.

"How have you two found the trip so far?"

"Well, certainly better than I'd expected before we started." Akali gave Annie a knowing smile.

"I bet. So what was the best place in your opinion then?"

"It'd have to be Demacia, the gardens were breathtaking, and the people there were just so sweet." Amumu shook his head.

"I thought it was Noxus, the people weren't as sweet, sure, but the atmosphere felt much more homely, and the time we spent with the other champions was great." Annie grasped Amumu's hands at the fond memories. Akali on the other hand raised an eyebrow.

"Not Piltover? Usually people can't stop raving about that place, how different and advanced it is. Also, the word is that you two…" She was cut off by Shen coughing, Akali suddenly realising the young couple were blushing.

"Sorry, didn't mean to offend."

"No, it's fine. Piltover was incredible, for the reasons you mentioned and more, but it didn't necessarily start on the best note. Noxus and Demacia were far more light-hearted." Akali couldn't argue with that logic, conceding the point and returning to talking with Shen.

It took them about twenty minutes of walking to eventually reach the hotel they'd be staying at. At first glance, Annie thought Shen was joking, but reality soon dawned on her. To call the location a hotel was an insult to how extravagant it was. The building had obviously been a temple or palace in a former life, transformed from that into an expensive hotel sometime recently, if the modern interior was anything to go by. The entrance hall was relatively empty, probably a testament to the price one had to pay to get a room here. Shen and Akali paid no heed to the small reception desk, heading straight past and up a set of stairs towards the suites, drawing the eyes of everybody as they used their stilts to take steps five at a time. Annie and Amumu watched as floor after floor went by until, just as they thought their legs could handle no more, the stairs came to an end and Shen leant over to unlock the solitary door at the top.

"Welcome to your home for the next week." The Institute had spared no expense on this trip, and Annie felt her jaw hit the floor. They had a kitchen the size of a living room, a living room the size of a small theatre, and a view of Ionia that dwarfed both of these. Amumu looked around somewhat awkwardly; taking in the grandeur of the place, while Annie instantly rushed to the window and put her nose upon it. She could see all the way back to the port, even making out the ship they had travelled on. The main square was only a few blocks away, and she could see the movement of tiny bodies throughout its area.

"Here's your key." Amumu's voice dragged Annie away from the scenery, his hand outstretched with a small key in his palm, which Annie accepted. Sometime during her onlooking, Shen and Akali had slipped out, leaving her and Amumu alone in the room. She pulled herself away from the window, looking into some of the other rooms. The bathroom was simple enough, but seemed to glow an unnaturally bright white, as though it were bleached on an hourly basis. They had a small area for storage, which neither of them saw any particular use for.

The last room on their list was the bedroom. Annie opened the door first and struggled to contain her laughter. Amumu came over to peep over her shoulder, and even he had to let out a sigh at what he saw. Their bed was in the shape of a giant, florally love-heart. Annie figured it made sense, this was a Heartseeker event, but the thought of the two of them sharing the bed was almost comedic, although also somewhat exciting if she was completely honest. Amumu seemed a little less impressed.

"My main question is what would have happened if we weren't a couple." Even Annie had to admit that was a tricky question, but she had no desire to think about them not being together. She reached over and grasped Amumu's hand.

"Thankfully we will never have to know." Amumu smiled at this.

"Anyway, Shen said there was a party on tonight if you were interested in going."

Annie looked outside, the sun already mostly set beyond the horizon.

"Should we start getting ready then?"

"It isn't until late, so we have a little time to settle in." Annie took the opportunity to dump her bags and leap face first onto the bed, earning her a chuckle from Amumu before he came over and joined her. The two just lay there in each other's company for some time before they started to get ready for the party. Once ready they made their way towards the reception, where Akali was standing there waiting for them. She had abandoned the pink robes and stilts in favour of a flowing green dress, causing Annie no small degree of envy at the sight of her beauty.

"You guys ready to go?" They nodded their approval and were soon on their way. The streets of Ionia were much quieter at this time, but there was still an undeniable buzz about. Lights and colours adorned so many of the buildings, the very air seemed to be tinted shades of pink and red. It was warming to see how many people put in that little extra effort for the festival of love.

The city square had been removed of most of the celebrants, replaced instead with tables with drinks and snacks to satisfy the assortment of guests who were wandering around catching up. The party was clearly one for the upper class, the standard of dress and etiquette well above the norm. The young couple felt a little out of place, but they could see the odd other champion mingling amongst the guests, which reassured them a little. They had to go through a small security check before entering the main square, the Ionian guard taking a look at them before clearly recognising who they were. They went straight in. Akali had taken off pretty quickly after entering the event, leaving Annie and Amumu to explore alone. To their credit, they did better than most would have done in such a situation. Annie got into a discussion with an official from Piltover about her time there, while Amumu found himself retelling his trip so far to a collection of high-ranking Ionian summoners. The pair continued like this for some time, and soon found themselves separated. Annie was the first to realise, unable to make out her minute companion anywhere.

"You seem to have lost someone." Annie didn't recognise the voice, but turned around instinctively. A pair of intelligent, brown eyes plastered above a cheeky smile met her as she did so, capturing her own. The boy would have been no older than herself, but like her she could sense a power emanating from him, a power that made her instantly distrust him. He wore a black suit, typical party wear, but it was the small broach on his chest pocket that caught Annie's attention. It seemed to be an intricate dragon, curling around to face its tail.

"That's a nice broach, is it the symbol for Ionia?" The boy smiled, showing off a set of perfect, white teeth.

"In a way, yes. I've been dying to meet you Annie, but I must say I'm a little surprised not to have met your mummy as well."

"Amumu."

"Pardon?"

"His name is Amumu, not 'my mummy'." The boy's smile didn't falter, but Annie found herself beginning to dislike her new acquaintance.

"Of course it is, my apologies. Tell me, how are you finding my home?" The boy gestured around him, arms raised to the sky.

"It is very beautiful, everything seems so ancient. I would love to see the rest of Ionia."

"Well, if you are ever in need of a guide, I'm sure I can be more than accommodating. I would love the chance to spend more time with you." Annie was beginning to get very uncomfortable.

"I think I'll be fine, I know plenty of champions who can help. Thanks for the offer though." She made to move away but found her wrist being clutched in an ice-cold grip. At first she thought his hands were just icy, but the longer it went on the more unnatural it felt. It was as though he was literally draining her of energy. Turning to face him, the once-brown eyes were now tainted in very familiar green colour, and his smile looked more malicious than ever. Annie quickly pulled her arm away.

"There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you." Amumu came rushing over, embracing Annie, which she happily accepted and reciprocated. The pair broke away, Amumu finally noticing the boy Annie had been talking to.

"And you must be Amumu, a pleasure to meet you." The boy extended his hand to the mummy, which Amumu accepted and shook. A look of confusion seemed to brush across the boys face, but was quickly replaced by the earlier enthusiasm.  
"I was just offering to Annie here to show you around Ionia should you desire." The way Annie squeezed on Amumu's hand told him that she didn't want to accept the offer, and he wasn't going to question her reasons.

"I'm sure we'll be fine, mister…" The boy waved his hand.

"Not important. Well, I'd best be off. I look forward to seeing you again Annie." With a final bow, the boy turned and walked off, vanishing into the surrounding crowd.

"What was that all about?" Annie was still rubbing her arm, trying to forget the horrible chilling feeling she'd experienced.

"Nothing, I just guess there has to be one creepy guy amongst the lot." Amumu chuckled at this before pulling her back to the party.

It was another couple of hours before they were finished; guests slowly making their way back to their accommodation. Annie and Amumu were amongst the last to leave, quite enjoying the warm night air and good company. But alas, the night had to end eventually, and soon they found themselves walking back towards the hotel, hand in hand. The reception was deserted, as was the staircase, which didn't really surprise the two given the time of night. Once inside they changed and made their way to bed, too exhausted to get distracted by other things. Amumu soon zoned out with his arm wrapped around Annie, but the latter could not bring herself to sleep. She could still feel the chilling touch on her arm, the way her brain screamed at her to pull away. It was as though the fire she knew flowed through her had been extinguished, or stolen. Feeling had begun to return over time, but it was not back to normal yet, and the fact that one boy could do that to her terrified her. She wanted to believe she'd never have to deal with him again, but his last words filled her with a dreadful feeling that such a belief was merely blind hope. Amumu shifted, moving his arm so that it rested on her own, right where the boy had touched her. Instantly she felt herself warming up, the cold sensation vanishing all together. Her mind wasn't satisfied, still causing her to squirm at the unnatural sensation, but at least the chill was gone. Rolling over, Annie looked at her boyfriend, planting a small kiss on his lips before drifting off to sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**Two chapters on one day? Really BJ, you're too generous!**

* * *

Chapter 16 - Doomed by Magic

Annie was fairly sure she had never had a worse nights sleep. She woke up with no sheets over her, hair tangled everywhere and her top pulled up near her neck, showing off her breasts to any poor person who happened to walk in on her. Luckily for her, the only poor person to do so that morning was Amumu.

"Attractive look, although I may be biased." Annie immediately pulled her top down, rolling over as she did so in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. She knew it wouldn't work, but at least she didn't have to see Amumu's reaction. Then she felt a hand upon her back, sending a shiver up her spine at the soft touch. A smile touched her lips and she rolled back over, meeting his eyes with hers.

"What happened to you last night? You couldn't stop squirming, and when I tried to wake you nothing happened." Annie frowned at this. She couldn't recall any nightmares or dreams, although that wasn't all that uncommon, they were dreams after all. The last thing she could remember was Amumu's touch and the chill on her arm. Instinctively she looked down, her arm now completely normal. Could that really have been the cause of all this?

"It doesn't matter now, I'm up and ready to enjoy my first day in Ionia." Amumu smiled at this, offering her a hand out of bed.

They shared a simple breakfast together before washing and getting dressed. They then made their way down to reception, expecting to find Akali or somebody there to give them their itinerary. Instead, they found it deserted save for the regular reception staff. Confused, Annie went up and asked if anything had been left for them.

"I'm afraid not dear, is there anything particular you were expecting?"

"Our itinerary for the day, we should have events and such on." The reception lady chuckled a little at this.

"They told us you were dedicated to your job, but this is a little cute. Your only official responsibilities are on the last day, the rest of the week is for you and your, umm, boyfriend to enjoy." This was news to Annie, and she found herself in a new predicament; what were they going to do. She went back and told Amumu, who returned her sentiment.

"We have, what, four days to ourselves? I barely know where to start!" Annie suddenly had an idea.

"Let's go see the local temples! I mean, this place is beautiful, and this is a former temple, imagine how beautiful the modern ones are." Amumu chuckled at her enthusiasm and, unable to argue with her smile, agreed. It took them a little while before they found a group that was heading to the local temples. The tour group was more than happy to accommodate the two new companions, probably because it would lead to good publicity, but they had enough tact not to say so out loud. Before long they were off, hiking out of the city centre and into the surrounding jungle. The scenery was beautiful, trees taller than any the pair could have imagined stood in contrast to the intricate flowers and shrub life that worked its way across the floor. Annie was captivated, and they hadn't even reached their destination yet.

"Many people walk this path, I hadn't expected to find you by my side." The pair had been so engrossed by the scenery they hadn't noticed the man sneak up on them.

"Yasuo! It's good to see you here." Yasuo smiled, pulling out a small bottle and taking a swig with a smile.

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not entirely sure where here is. I may be a firm believer that 'a wanderer isn't always lost', but this time I've got to conceded the point, I don't have a clue where I am." Amumu wasn't impressed, but Annie chuckled a little.

"We're on our way to some temples." Yasuo screwed his face up.

"I've spent more than my fair share of time at temples, this road lead back to the main city?" Annie nodded.

"Good, I guess I can chat with you guys and find my way back later." The trio began to converse, drawing a few whispers from the other hikers who were now in the presence of three champions of the Institute, no doubt a story they'd be telling their families next chance they got.

"Why were you out here? Surely there's somebody you'd want to spend the festival with." Yasuo laughed at this, but it was strained.

"I'm afraid she's not here child."

"But you're one of the cutest champions at the Institute, surely some…"

"I never said there wasn't anybody, just that she wasn't here." Annie caught on, and soon an uncomfortable silence fell amongst the group.

"I'll be heading back now, it was nice to see the pair of you." With that Yasuo was gone, leaving the pair on the trail by themselves.

"Cutest champion at the Institute?" Annie blushed, punching Amumu in the shoulder.

"One of silly, you take top spot." She kissed him, and the pair continued on hand in hand.

The temples themselves exceeded the expectations Annie had set for them. She found herself running through their halls, praying to gods she had never even heard of. Some of them were off limits of course, mostly the ones that still held significant religious significance. Most of these the pair observed from a distance, still able to admire the beauty from further away. The sun rose and fell in the time it took them to see all the temples, and soon the time approached for them to return home. There was one more temple on their list, sadly an off limits one.

"It's the temple of the Soul Fire." Amumu explained as he read the plaque set out for them to read.

"Soul Fire? That doesn't sound like a god."

"It's not, the Soul Fire is supposedly the magical essence that imbues life. It hasn't been traced to any known religion, and as such the temple is barely used."

"Why's the temple off limits then?"

"Magical significance, that's odd." Annie had another look at the temple, and soon she began to see the differences. Unlike the other temples, this one was smaller in size, lacking most of the typical Ionian embellishes. The colours were also very un-Ionian, the classic red replaced for a subtler blue scheme. Flaming patterns adorned the stain-glass windows, which were a rarity amongst Ionian temples already. Annie could also make out a staircase heading down, very odd as the Ionian's believed the god's power came from the sky, and so tended to reach to the heavens rather than into the earth. Amumu shivered next to her.

"That one gives me the creeps for some reason." Annie had to agree, holding Amumu's hand tighter as they took their final looks at the temple of the Soul Fire.

The trip back to Ionia's capital was a quiet one, everyone quite exhausted from their day trip. Once back, everyone said their thanks to the hike leaders before making their own way home. Annie and Amumu took a more scenic route towards the town square, hoping to enjoy a few more of the festivities before the evening was through. They made a habit of popping into an assortment of the local stores as they walked, buying trinkets as they went. Most of what they bought they knew was useless, but it made the owner's happy, and that was what mattered. As they began to approach the square the stores switched to stalls and the streets into marketplaces. Spices rose up to meet them, most of them Ionian and thus unknown to the pair. They spent almost an hour walking around one marketplace, simply stopping to sniff everything put in front of them. They could soon tell the difference between the basic spices and the ones with special properties. Annie's personal favourite was a sweet tasting one that was supposed to enhance feelings of joy and pleasure. She had tried it while kissing Amumu and could barely stop giggling at the memory. She had bought a bag for later use. Amumu on the other hand took a liking to a rather musky root-based spice, which although Annie couldn't feel doing anything, lead to Amumu staring at his hand as he flexed his fingers. Annie could only guess at what it was doing, and although encouraging him, Amumu refused to buy a bag.

"It was nostalgic is all, I would rather not have that feeling too often." From the spice markets they found their way to the fresh produce, and from there to the baked goods. If there was something to be sold, there was a marketplace that it could be sold at. Soon the pair was carrying a couple of bags worth of food, planning meals two nights in advance.

They knew they were almost at the square, rounding a corner into a small courtyard before the city-centre. There stood a solitary tree, its leaves a beautiful autumn shade despite it being on the cusp of spring. Around the tree was a group of youthful boys, most around Annie's age. They began to whistle as she walked past, but she ignored them, unused to such attention.

"How about a kiss sweetheart?" The boy's taunt got met with laughter from his companions. Annie wanted to just keep walking, but Amumu had other plans. He could feel the rage building within him, spurring him on just as his sadness would do.

"Do you think you're funny? Have you any idea who you are talking to?" The boy rubbed his chin as though deep in thought.

"I seem to be talking to an incredibly cute girl who insists on carry a roll of walking toilet paper around with her. That about right?" Amumu was taken aback, and he could feel the rage building within him. He managed to just keep his composure, and thus reign in his magic.

"How about a little respect? Apologise." The boy leaned forward, smiling at Amumu.

"Make me." Amumu raised his hand as the boy fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Amumu instantly pulled his hand away, looking at his hand in shock. The boy did not stop squirming however.

"You really are a rude little boy aren't you? Even if this young lady wasn't who she is, she deserves to be treated with a little more respect. Listen to the mummy and apologise." The boy couldn't talk, he was in too much pain.

"I said apologise, I will not ask another time." Amumu turned, searching for the source of the voice. The boy coughed, a horrible sound that spelt nothing good. Annie screamed.

"Stop! You're killing him." Instantly the boy stopped convulsing, quickly picking himself up and bolting out of the square, whispering apologies repeatedly as he did so.

"You're soft Madame Hastur, he deserved to die for such insolence." Annie's heart sank at the sound of the voice, and turning to her side she couldn't help but jump at the pair of brown eyes and perfect teeth.

"I had hoped I'd see you again after last night, I did not expect it to be so soon." The young man from the night before stepped toward Amumu nodding his head in acknowledgement. He turned to the tree, running his hand along its trunk.

"Beautiful, isn't it? The people say it was enchanted a long time ago by a warlock so that his betrothed could always enjoy the beauty of autumn, the season when they met. A romantic gesture I suppose, ironic to think that what started as such a personal, intimate gift has turned into a public spectacle which few people know the origins of." The boy continued to run his hand upon the tree as Amumu went over to join Annie, shaking her shoulder gently.

"Are you ok? You've gone very pale." Amumu whispered to her, but she did not respond. The boy continued.

"Sadly the warlock's magic would be his downfall. One night, in a fit of rage, he accidentally set his home ablaze. They both survived, getting out just in time. Their young child however was less lucky. The wife turned on the husband very quickly, saying he wanted to kill her and the child, that the fire was intentional. It was a lie of course, but who wants to argue for such a display of wanton destruction?" Annie felt as though her very soul was sinking. She remembered the fear she'd felt at the possibility of hurting Amumu with her fire, she'd never considered the possibilities of children or that her magic would be spurred on by anger. The boy was appealing to her deepest, darkest fears, and she was sinking down with them. It was Amumu who pulled her out.

"That's enough. I don't know who you are, but I've heard quite enough from you these past days. Leave." The boy just smiled, walking closer to the mummy.

"Ever a guardian. Keep this one safe, they are few and far between." His words were sweet, but the boy's eyes spoke the complete opposite. He wasn't one to dwell on such feelings either, and soon continued.

"Anyway, I must be going. I assume I'll be seeing you tomorrow?" Amumu growled, gripping the boy by the shirt.

"Don't you dare." The boy was unfazed, laughing at the display.

"I meant at the party. Sona is travelling all the way from Demacian to put on a concert, don't tell me you don't want to go." The boy faked a pout, his eyes showing the smile he was hiding. Amumu dropped him.

"We'll be there, but you better hope we don't see you." With this, the boy bowed and made his way across the courtyard away from the city centre.

"Until we meet again, my dear Annie."

As soon as the boy was out of sight, Annie turned her attention to Amumu, pressing both her hands on the side of his face.

"Amumu, calm down, you're scaring me." He hadn't realised exactly how high his rage had built. As he began to forcefully calm himself, he was genuinely surprised he hadn't burst. Once he was once again calm, he embraced Annie.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to lose control like that." She pulled him closer.

"Don't worry, I know how it feels." The pair made their way back to their room in silence, both a little disappointed with how their evening had ended. Later that night, as both of them lay facing away from each other, they found sleep impossible. It was Annie who broke the silence.

"Do you think our relationship will always teeter based on our magic?" Amumu rolled over, looking at the back of her head.

"It's not magic that made me fall in love with you." Annie chuckled, and turned to face Amumu, his golden eyes a welcome sight.

"I know that, but I also know that both our magic is so volatile. What if we do fight, do we just have to accept that there will always be that risk we kill each other?" Amumu shrugged.

"Or we could just never fight." Annie raised an eyebrow at this.

"Isn't that a little idealistic?"

"Well, you're perfect, and I want to do my best to be the same, so why can't I look at things ideally?" Annie grabbed her pillow from underneath her and threw it at Amumu, the mummy's cheeky smile making its way to Annie.

"I'm trying to have a serious conversation here!" Amumu threw the cushion back.

"I am being serious! Annie, I know anger and sadness better than most, and I know that I have never felt that way around you. I seriously don't think we have to worry about our magic when fighting, because it will never get to that stage." Annie pulled herself closer and softly kissed his lips. They stayed silent for some time after, smiles on both their faces.

"Don't take this the wrong way Amumu, but I'm really tired…" Amumu cut her off with another kiss.

"Don't worry, I thought that was the case." Annie snuggled up to his chest, sighing contentedly.

"Goodnight Amumu." Annie felt a soft hand gently stroke her neck.

"Sweet dreams Annie, may they be free of your struggles." And as though through some act of magic, they were.

* * *

 **Please RFF (Review, Follow, Favourite)**

 **Also, some of this spacing comes out weird for some reason, and I also know that sometimes this bold print doesn't show up. I honestly have no clue how to fix that, sorry :/**

 **Again, please RFF and make my day :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**The irony is that the stories people seem to like the most of mine are Heart of the Jungle and Sentimental, stories around champions I really don't enjoy playing (Kennen accepted). It feels so good to be writing about Annie and Amumu again, they are still my OTP and there is something deeply rewarding about writing this story. I did promise that I'd write the _BIG_ Heart of the Jungle chapter, and I am in the process of doing so, but I really want to work more on this story.**

 **That being said, I am oh so very sorry about my last chapter. I actually took the time to read it, and holy damn, the errors were shameful! I think I went through and fixed majority of them, but the damage was there for some time already. This chapter should be much better!**

 **Anyway, as always, RFF and enjoy. I hope to put out another chapter this week, so lucky you guys!**

 **-BJ**

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Chapter 17 - Healer's Counsel

"I want to go visit Soraka." Amumu raised an eyebrow at this, not expecting the sudden request.

"Ok, why?" Annie just smiled and sat on his lap. Amumu himself had gotten up not long ago and was currently enjoying the luxurious lounge in the living room, simply resting his head when Annie walked in, sipping on something hot and sweet smelling, most likely a hot chocolate from one of the many stalls or cafes in the centre of Ionia. She had practically skipped into the room, the atmosphere seeming to lift with her positive mood, standing in front of Amumu and swaying on her feet before asking her peculiar request.

"Well, we promised Warwick we'd talk to her, and we don't really have any other plans." She said all this while wrapping herself around Amumu's neck, not really putting him in any position to say no. He ended up pushing her away, smiling a little as he did.

"Ok, fine, I'm convinced, why are you in such a positive mood?" Annie just smiled, kissing him gently on the cheek.

"Good nights sleep I suppose."

Soraka wasn't a champion who typically welcomed guests. She'd gotten better as she became popular with the Institute, but the fact was she valued privacy. Few people in Valoran even knew of her dwelling within the forests of Ionia, and those who did weren't the kind to visit regularly. To most people this would have been a lonely existence, but for Soraka it was perfect. It was for that reason Annie and Amumu found themselves entering the seemingly unspectacular bar on the outskirts of the capital. They attracted no small degree of peculiar glances from the burly men occupying the place, many of them unsure what to do in the presence of the youthful couple. Amumu was particularly uncomfortable with the situation. He knew that they were both powerful enough to be safe, but he also saw the wandering eyes taking in his girlfriend, and he had to physically fight to keep his calm. Thankfully they weren't in there for long, a figure gracefully sweeping by and carrying the two outside.

"And here I was thinking you two were clever. What are you doing here?" Yasuo looked in much better condition than the day before, clearly not feeling the consequences of a big night. His hair was tied back in the way only he could make look good, sword strapped across his waist.

"We want to go see Soraka." Yasuo chuckled.

"And what makes you think I can take you there?" Annie raised an eyebrow.

"You're a troubled Ionian warrior plagued with his past in need of aid, and Soraka never turns away someone in need. You really expect me to believe she hasn't invited you?" Yasuo crossed his arms, a frown crossing his face. He tried not to look too pained at the words, but some of it still showed through.

"Those are strong words little lady."

"But true ones." Yasuo nodded, conceding the point.

"She could have just approached me at the Institute." Annie smiled, catching out the warrior.

"But you prefer to wander, and Soraka knows that. She would have asked you to come to her place." The debate simply went over Amumu's head, never a good manipulator of words. Yasuo however smiled.

"You're a clever girl Annie, your talents are wasted as a pyromancer." Annie blushed at the compliment.

"So can you take us?" The warrior stretched, looking into the sky.

"It'll be a bit of a trek, got any plans for the day?"

"Party in the evening." Yasuo shook his head.

"That'll be fine, I can get you back before then. Well, off we go." Without any further discussion, Yasuo started heading off into the surrounding jungle, Annie linking arms with Amumu and following along.

The walk itself would have been enough to fill the day. The tour they'd taken part in yesterday was the furthest in-land they'd ever seen Ionia, and that experience was now put to shame by the true form of Ionia they now beheld. All those beautiful pictures Yi had described, waterfalls rolling eloquently off of impossibly shaped rocks, mysterious pools of water so clear a petal could see its reflection from the highest points of the surrounding cherry-blossoms, and trees that seemed to caress the clouds with their gentle limbs all seemed to be so true. Yasuo was patient with the young pair, remembering the fist times he'd ventured into the beautiful wilds. It was sad to think that the sights no longer inspired his imagination, the wonder now masked by Yasuo's pained memories. He wanted to have a drink, to pull out the flask he always carried with him, but the better side of him told him it was a bad influence on the youth. Besides, he also knew that _she_ wouldn't approve.

"You two had better hurry up, we're almost there." Sure enough, after passing through a final small grove the area opened up to a small, wooden hut. Smoke was rising out of an ancient chimney, the smell of food making its way towards the trio. Yasuo heard his stomach grumble, and that was all the incentive he needed to approach the hut. He got about halfway there before something hit him in the head, causing him to rub the sore spot. Looking at his feet, he buried his face in his palm.

"Really Soraka? A banana? It's bad enough people give you that stereotype, you don't need to give them incentive." He picked the piece of fruit up off the ground and threw it into the surrounding jungle, grumbling as he did so. The door to the hut was thrown open and a small figure ran out. Soraka stopped in front of the warrior, checking his head like a concerned mother, Yasuo frantically pushing away her hands.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't recognise you. How've you been? Why are you here? You haven't been drinking again, have you? You know how I feel about you drinking! And why are you in Ionia, it's the festival, shouldn't you be in Noxus?" Yasuo roughly put a hand over Soraka's mouth, silencing her.

"It is good to see you too, now please stop with the questions, I have brought company." Yasuo motioned with his head, Soraka's eyes following the gesture. Upon seeing the couple she beamed.

"Amumu! It's been so long, how are you feeling?" Amumu looked at his feet in embarrassment. Amumu and Soraka had become quite close a while ago, but they didn't talk much nowadays. They'd met back when the Institute encouraged Amumu to take 'therapy' with the healer, and although he looked back on the sessions as fond memories, he hadn't told anyone else about them. Apparently Soraka did no feel the same need for privacy.

"I'm fine, better than ever actually." If possible Soraka's smile seemed to get even larger, and she quickly ushered them into her small yet cosy home, rushing off to prepare tea and a meal for the trio. Amumu was fascinated to see that, although a celestial being, Soraka seemed to take an interest in much the same comforts as everyone else. She had books on her shelves, chairs around her fire and beautiful Ionian artworks hanging on the walls. It was very… homely, a word Amumu would rarely use to describe anything. The healer returned not too long after carrying with her four small cups and a pot of tea which filled the whole house with its scent; Rich and earthy, but with evident traces of cinnamon and other such spices. They all took a seat around her fireplace, Soraka pouring them all a cup before they drank in silence, a welcoming peace overcoming the room.

"Isn't it a bit early to have the fire going Soraka?" Yasuo put his tea down as he inquired, stretching a little. Soraka laughed, likewise lowering her drink.

"I hate a cold house, it does absolutely nothing to sooth one's soul. Maybe if you spent more time at home rather than the pub, you'd understand that." Soraka said it all with a smile, and even Yasuo laughed a little. It became apparent to the youth that this was not a new conversation.

"I don't have a home, I'm a wanderer, and you know that." Soraka raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? Last I checked you were offered a home, please don't tell me you refused it." Yasuo blushed, averting his eyes from the healer's judgemental gaze. She sighed, turning to the young couple.

"Now what brings you two out my way? I doubt it was Yasuo's idea to bring you. He may be sweet, but only on occasion, and never without incentive." Yasuo's head fell even lower. When did the day become so bad for him? Annie felt a little sympathy for the warrior.

"We wanted to find you, and I figured he'd be the best way to find you. Besides, we ran into him yesterday, so we knew he'd be around. Sure enough, he was kind enough to help us." Annie smiled at the warrior, who nodded his gratitude at the compliment. Soraka smiled, putting a hand on the warrior's shoulder.

"Please do not mistake my comments for insults child, Yasuo and I do go a long way back, it is simple jesting." Yasuo put his hand over the healers, the two of them sharing a knowing gaze, one which did not escape the young couple, but they knew better than to enquire about it. Amumu eventually broke the silence.  
"Anyway, we have a lot of spare time this week, so we decided we'd come and visit you." She turned to the mummy, raising an eyebrow.

"Just out of the blue? Well, I'm flattered dear, but forgive me if I don't entirely believe that." The couple looked at each other, as if figuring out what to say. Amumu knew he'd have to mention Warwick, but he didn't want to sour the healer's mood. It was no mystery they did not get along. Eventually he sucked it up, deciding to take the bullet if it would come to that.

"Warwick wanted us to talk to you. He wanted to say he's sorry." Soraka had made the mistake of picking up her cup of tea, which she resultantly dropped upon Amumu's statement. Yasuo instantly jumped to her aid, checking to make sure she hadn't burnt herself on the hot tea. Soraka waved him away, the warrior returning to his seat.

"You'll have to forgive me once more, for I still don't believe you." Annie jumped in this time.

"No, it's true. He gave us a gift, and his only request was that we tell you that he is sorry. You should have seen his gift though! They're some engraved glasses, and they are absolutely beautiful!" Soraka smiled, nodding as she picked up the pieces of her teacup.

"Believe me dear, I know better than most how intricate Warwick's art is." She picked up a particularly large section of the ceramic cup, looking at the beautiful images engraved around the outside. Amumu couldn't make out what it was off, but he recognised the handiwork. There was far more to Soraka and Warwick than they knew. As if to show how complicated it really was, Soraka started to cry, Yasuo inching over to put an arm around her. She took a deep breath, managing to stop her tears, smiling and brushing the tears off her cheeks.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. If you'll excuse me, I have something in the oven." Soraka got up to leave the room, Annie standing up too.

"I'll come with." Soraka smiled and the pair exited the room, leaving Amumu and Yasuo to their own devices.

The kitchen was small, but still large enough for a bench and oven. Annie supposed she was just getting used to the large rooms they'd been living in over the past week or so.

"If you want to lend a hand, would you mind handing me the cloth over there." Soraka pointed to a white cloth hanging on the wall, which Annie handed to the healer. She laid it out across the bench before opening the oven, reaching in and using another cloth to pull out a tray of freshly baked cookies. Annie's mouth started watering as the first traces of the scent hit her nose; Chocolate chip, one of her favourites. Soraka touched one of the cookies, instantly pulling her finger back and blowing on it.

"Far too hot to eat yet, you're just going to have to wait I'm afraid." Soraka smiled, putting the cloth down and preparing to re-enter the living room, only to be stopped by Annie grabbing her wrist.

"Could I ask you something?" Soraka raised an eyebrow, but walked back into the kitchen and leaning on the bench.

"Ask away dear." Annie took a deep breath, keeping her voice low so there was no chance that anyone in the other room could hear.

"Is there I way to bring people back from the dead." Soraka's smiled faltered, taking a deep breath herself before continuing, also in hushed tones.

"There's a lot more to it than simple magic, and every case is different. But broadly no, save for some special circumstances." Annie looked at the door, and Soraka began to realise what she was getting at. Annie continued.

"What if the person was still sentient and aware, and it was their magic that was keeping them 'alive'. So, like, they are kind of dead and not dead at the same time. Could something be done then?" Soraka put a hand on Annie's shoulder, leaning over to meet the young girl eye to eye.

"Does Amumu know you are doing this?" Annie shook her head.

"He doesn't want me to try anything, but I know he can be saved! He's done so much for me, and as far as I'm concerned he's saved my life, I just want to try and save his." Soraka's eyes were deadly serious, her generaly positive attitude definitely not present in that moment.

"He doesn't need saving dear, he's perfectly fine as he is, and if anything he looks happier now than he has in years. If I were to try and do this, and that is a big 'if', there will be risks, the foremost of which is that as soon as I meddle his magic stops keeping him 'alive', and he dies, and I mean that with every sense of finality I can give it. Do you realise that? If anything goes wrong, you will lose him." Annie felt a chill travel down her spine at those words. That was her biggest fear, losing him. She wasn't sure she'd be able to live with herself if anything ever happened to him. Yet some part of her knew he'd never be able to feel the same way she did, not while he was only half-living. Her heart was torn, and Soraka's words, although helpful, hadn't done much to sway her mind either way.

"If I'm going to do this, I will need Amumu to give his approval." Annie shook her head.

"Amumu would never agree, he wouldn't risk leaving me alone."

"Then I'm afraid I won't be able to help you." The healer rubbed a hand along Annie's cheek, finally putting a smile back on her face.

"Dear, he loves you so much, not many people get a chance at love like that in their entire life. Isn't that enough for you?" Annie smiled. Soraka was right, she was happy, and doing this wouldn't make Amumu love her more, which ultimately was what she wanted. She hugged the healer.

"You're right, thanks." Soraka patted the girl's back as they made their way back into the living room.

Amumu and Yasuo had never been particularly close, mostly because they could not be more different. He was a warrior who spent his life trying to forget his past, Amumu wished nothing more than to remember his. He was a heart-throb, a person girls everywhere wanted to get in touch with after seeing him on the rift, while people tended to avoid him. That had changed recently, but it was still mostly true. Even within their matches, he was a squishy high-damage carry, and Amumu was a tank he preferred to let other people carry him. They were definitely not similar, and mutual conversation was difficult to find. After a couple futile attempts, Yasuo chuckled to himself and pulled out a bottle seemingly from nowhere. Amumu coughed as Yasuo took a sip.

"I don't think Soraka would want you to be doing that." Yasuo smiled.

"It's water child, I know better than to bring alcohol into her home." He took another deep swig before putting the bottle away.

"So tell me, when did you meet Annie?" Amumu looked at the warrior, his question catching him a little off guard.

"We met at the Institute…"

"Nope, not that version, the real one." Amumu frowned. Almost nobody knew that Amumu had met Annie before the Institute, so it was a surprise to hear Yasuo knew such an intimate detail of their relationship.

"How do you know we met before?" Yasuo winked at the mummy.

"You hear a lot of stories on the road, and I've spent more time on them than most. I can actually remember where I heard that tale, in fact I reckon I'll be hard pressed to forget it." Amumu was getting more and more interested as Yasuo spoke.

"When did you hear it?"

"I was travelling along the eastern borderlands. As beautiful as the beaches are on this side of Ionia, I always preferred the cliffs that mark the eastern edge. They possess an ominous quality, as though they recognise where their beauty stands relative to the rest of us." Yasuo paused, a smile crawling briefly across his face.

"Anyway, I was on the road when I heard it, two voices seeming to bicker. Curious as I was, I left the road to find the source. The sight was, well, horrible. A caravan must have made the mistake of leaving the road, suffering a terrible end. I'll spare you the details, but needless to say it was something I will not easily forget. The voices were still there, and by this time I could differentiate the two. One was female, clearly calm and controlled, the other male and significantly more aggressive.

'It isn't enough to continue as we are when everything has changed.'

'Nothing has changed save your will, we have a purpose, and you will fulfil it.' I heard a noise behind the caravan, and as silently as I could I edged closer. I was stopped however by the sound of footsteps, instantly dashing into the caravan to avoid detection.

'What of the pyromancer, we could find her.'

'That hunt is done. Amumu is with her dear wolf, let it be.' That was the first time I met Kindred, and their presence was infinitely more terrifying then than on the rift. Anyway, last I checked there was only one you, and it wasn't hard to assume who the pyromancer was. So that raises a few questions, such as how they knew of the two of you given the Institute was yet to form at that stage, and why they knew of you." Amumu couldn't do anything but look at the warrior in shock. He couldn't remember ever having met Kindred before the Institute, but that wasn't saying much. There was about only one thing he did remember from before the Institute.

"The first memory I have is of Annie. Everything before her is just voiceless whispers, the stuff nightmares are made of. Annie was the first thing I ever had that was tangible, and I can never thank her enough for that. As for how I met her, I kind of just stumbled upon her I guess. I can't even tell you why I was walking around. People tell me I woke up in Shurima, although I have no memories of that. Stories about my past are so hard to tell, because there are so many gaps." Yasuo reached over and put a hand on the young mummy's shoulder.

"I didn't realise it was such a sensitive topic, my apologies." Amumu shrugged it off.

"It's not such a big deal, I got over it a while ago." Yasuo leant back, taking out his bottle and taking another drink. Amumu looked at him, a smile creeping across his face.

"That isn't water, is it?" Yasuo winked, but quickly cringed as a hand slapped him over the head.

"You should know better than to bring your repulsive drink into my home. What would Riven think of you?" Annie and Amumu's jaws both dropped, and Soraka quickly threw her hand over her mouth, instantly ashamed at the secret she had let slip. Yasuo stared at her, and there was a really long silence that fell over the room. Eventually Yasuo began to laugh.

"You always were terrible at keeping secrets Soraka." Yasuo stood and gaver her a quick kiss on the cheek, causing the healer to blush profusely.

"If you want to get back for your party, we'd probably best be leaving." Soraka looked disheartened.

"Already? It's barely been more than an hour!" Annie smiled, grabbing Soraka's wrist.

"You could come back with us! There are champions all over Ionia for the festival, you certainly won't be out of place." Soraka was a little nervous about the idea; she wasn't good with large crowds. She looked at Yasuo, the warrior simply shrugging.

"I'll be there, if that makes a difference." Soraka slowly nodded, Annie practically jumping up and down in excitement. The healer disappeared into her bedroom before coming out in a traditional Ionain dress, Yasuo offering a cheeky whistle. Soraka blushed before asking for Annie's help with the walk. Annie linked arms with the healer, offering an apologetic look to Amumu. They made sure the fire was put out and the house was locked up before making their way through the jungle, Soraka pointing out her favourite places amongst the trees as Annie's excitement grew. This party was set to be one to remember.

* * *

 **Ah, foreshadowing. Until next time ;)**


	18. Chapter 18

**This was probably ready to post on Friday, but then something happened, something that I could not ignore...**

 **URF! I had just started playing the last time it came around and played like one game, and as I didn't get the point that was it. Oh how naive I was. On a side note, to all of you out there who played Galio, congrats on finding the broken pick nobody seemed to want to ban, I hope you felt like a terrible human being as you laughed at the enemy team trying to kill you. What is a poor Lux supposed to do? :(**

 **Anyway, sorry for putting this out a little later than I promised, this weekend was busy and meant very little writing was done at all.**

 **Enjoy the chapter and please RFF**

 **-BJ**

* * *

Chapter 18 - Just One Dance

Soraka entered the room with a flowing silver dress, strapless and very revealing. Annie's eyes grew wide.

"There is no way I can go in that." Soraka looked at the dress innocently, Yasuo chuckling.

"Annie sweetie, you need to pick a dress, or we'll never make it to the party." Annie let out an exasperated growl, falling back onto the bed and rubbing her face. She had really wanted to impress at the party tonight, and had quickly discovered she had absolutely no dresses she wanted to wear. Soraka had been more than willing to look for some dresses, but she still wasn't convinced on any of them. She looked at Yasuo, the warrior more than happy to criticise but offering very little in the way of help. She sighed; at least he was here. She'd sent Amumu away, desperately wanting to surprise him. She knew he was waiting just outside the door, and part of her really wished he were in here, if for no other reason than his compliments. Even though she knew he'd say them regardless of how she looked, she valued them above anything else. Soraka put the dress on the bed, looking at it and all the other dresses she had found for Annie, none of which seemed to take her interest.

"You must like one of these, they are all beautiful dresses." Annie went over to the healer, Yasuo making sure to avert his eyes as she passed. Annie knew he wasn't going to check her out, but the fact was she was still only in her undergarments, and that seemed to make the warrior very uncomfortable. Annie picked up dress after dress, placing them up against her for a few seconds before dismissing it. There was a knock at the door, Yasuo standing.

"I'll go have a look who it is. Please make a decision before I get back." Yasuo put his hands together in a begging motion then exited the room, Amumu already at the door talking with somebody. Going up and joining him, he bowed respectfully to the figure at the door.

"It has been too long Akali, how are things with the Kinkou." Akali smiled at the warrior, extending her hand, which Yasuo promptly accepted and kissed lightly on the back. Akali blushed, and Amumu could easily see why girls became infatuated with this guy.

"Everything is simply splendid, and it is a pleasure as always Yasuo, what brings you here?" Yasuo looked at the door to Annie's bedroom.

"We were supposed to be getting ready for the party, but it seems the little lady has very particular taste in dresses." Akali laughed.

"You don't have much experience with women then, how we look speaks a lot of our character. If one doesn't take care in what they wear, I'd consider it bad form."

"I suppose I can accept that, but we do want to get to this party some time this evening." Akali reached to the side of her, pulling out what Yasuo instantly recognised as a dress. He honestly thought he'd never be able to look at one the same way after tonight.

"Give her this, it's designed by some of the best in Ionia. We had it made as a gift, to say thankyou for everything she's done as part of the festival. Technically we should have waited, but I wanted to see it on her." Yasuo accepted the dress, eying it up and down. It was very obviously Ionian, far more conservative than the dresses Soraka was trying. Yasuo smiled to himself, this one may actually do it.

"Will you be at the party?" Akali looked at Amumu, smiling at his question.

"Of course! Shen and I both will be, we wouldn't miss such an opportunity. Anyway, I'll take my leave." She bowed low, Yasuo returning the gesture while Amumu just waved and said bye. Yasuo turned to the mummy, looking him up and down. He was in a cute little suit, exactly his size, which seemed strangely fitting for the often-serious young boy.

"I'll take this to Annie, be patient a little longer." Amumu groaned; he'd been waiting for ages already. Yasuo just laughed and re-entered the bedroom. Annie's eyes immediately lit up at the sight of the dress.

"A gift from Akali and Shen." Annie was speechless; the material was softer than anything she'd felt before, the beautiful gold and crimson inlays perfectly complimenting the warm red fabric. It wasn't revealing, which suited Annie just fine, and it looked to be just her size. She wasted no time putting it on, rushing into the bathroom to get changed. Soraka and Yasuo waited patiently, both of their jaws hitting the floor as Annie stepped out. Yasuo couldn't resist a whistle.

"Annie! That's beautiful!" Soraka rushed up smiling, brushing out the few creases that remained in the fabric. Yasuo was still looking Annie up and down, trying to hide his smile.

"You put Ahri to shame with beauty like that. I envy Amumu." Annie couldn't help the blush, her entire face warming up to the point that she ended up covering her cheeks in an attempt to hide it. Satisfied that everything was in order, Soraka stepped away, once more admiring the dress. Annie wasted no time, instantly rushing out the door to show Amumu. The latter took one look at Annie before his whole face seemed to glaze over, unable to take his eyes off his girlfriend. Annie walked up and lightly kissed him, Amumu barely able to register what was going on. Annie was just so beautiful. It took him a few stuttered attempts before he finally managed to find his tongue, and even then he was lost for words.

"Annie, you're so… I mean, the dress… I love you so much." Amumu spoke the last line as though conceding, but for Annie it was the greatest compliment he could give, and she welcomed it with another short kiss.

"Come on, we have a party to get to." Yasuo and Soraka had watched the scene from a distance, their hearts filled to the brim with joy at the sight. Was there anything more warming than young love?

The party itself was in the centre of town, one of the ancient Ionian temples being utilised as a ballroom for the event. They could have done it outside, the weather certainly would have permitted it, but Sona's music was set to be the main attraction, and everyone wanted to hear it in its perfect, untainted form. The group of champions bypassed all the lines and groups, thankful for their status as it seemed as though half of Ionia had turned up for the event. Annie was a little upset to think that most of them wouldn't be able to get in, but she new there wasn't really that much she could do for them except offer them greetings and hugs where requested. They eventually made their way inside, surprised to find the entire room was dimmed, little light making its way from the numerous candles lining the walls. The music didn't take long to reach their ears, quiet enough to allow for conversation over the top, but loud enough so that they could feel its influence. They made their way deeper into the event, managing to pick up an assortment of drinks as they went. They had just entered the main hall when somebody grabbed Yasuo's wrist. The room was dark and the figure was hooded, so he was unable to make out who it was at first. However, when they showed their face, he hung his head in shame.

"You're here." The figure laughed, but there was no kindness in it.

"Well I wasn't going to sit in Noxus, alone."

"I'm sorry." Riven slapped him, hard.

"You're sorry? That's the best you've got?" Yasuo rubbed his cheek, the skin already beginning to glow under the dim lighting. Soraka, realising this was probably something best covered alone, quickly ushered the youthful couple away, sighing once out of earshot.

"Those two are terrible, honestly, they wouldn't know something good if it hit them in the face, literally!" The trio shared a laugh together before making their way into the centre ballroom, finally able to see Sona up on stage performing, the music seeming to visually flow off her etwahl and over the crowd. It was calming, and Annie could physically feel herself relaxing.

"Well, I'll leave you two to it then, hopefully I'll see you later this evening." With that the healer was off, leaving Annie and Amumu to enjoy the party by themselves. They didn't really have much experience with occasions like this, most of their events on the trip thus far being considerably more formal. They went and got a drink and then sat there, watching the others dance. That was why Annie almost spilled her drink when Amumu asked her to dance.

"Dance? Since when do you dance?" Amumu smiled.

"I don't, but if there's one thing I've realised watching the crowd, it's that neither can any of them. " He stood up and offered Annie a hand, which she eagerly accepted before making their way onto the dance floor.

The dancing was terrible, but it brought a smile to both their faces, which was more than either of them could have asked for. They danced separately and together, managing to tread on each others feet regardless of which one it was. The music shifted from slow to fast then back to slow, the rhythm simulating the heartbeat of the party, its melodious fingers working the dance-floor like a puppet-master would his strings. Eventually the pair grew weary, practically collapsing into some of the chairs provided for them. They caught their breath, Annie resting her head on Amumu's shoulder as she was too fatigued to hold it up herself. Eventually they recovered, talking amiably about anything and everything, just able to enjoy each other's company. Eventually Amumu stood, stretching.

"I'm going to have a look and see if there is any place I can get something to eat, I'm starving." He leant down, kissing Annie lightly on the cheek.

"I'll be back soon." He walked off slowly, sparing glances over his shoulder until he lost sight of her through the crowd. Now alone, Annie took to engrossing herself in Sona's music, taking extra time to appreciate every note that was played.

"She's a very talented musician, even if she calls Demacia home." Annie wanted to run, to disappear into the crowd and pretend she'd never heard that voice. But she had, and its owner wasted no time in making himself seen.

"I was curious as to whether or not you would actually come, I was so very eager to spend some time with you." Annie rubbed her shoulder nervously.

"The feeling isn't mutual." The boy smiled, a cocky grin that repulsed Annie.

"Oh my dear Annie, that is quite rude of you. All I ask is a dance, is that so dangerous?" He lifted his hands, showing that they were both gloved, putting to rest any concerns Annie had about repeating what had happened on their first meeting. She should have said no, but part of her knew that even if she had he wouldn't have let her go. What harm could one dance possibly do?

"Just this once, then you leave." Another smile.

"One dance is all I desire my dear." He extended a gloved hand, carefully wrapping his fingers around Annie's smaller appendage and leading her onto the floor. The current song was slow, certainly designed for partners, much to Annie's distaste. She reluctantly followed the boy's movements, allowing him to lead. Annie had to respect that he knew what he was doing, his feet moving around the floor expertly while his posture remained nothing less than superior, although she still felt it was overly pompous.

"So how have you found Ionia?"

"It's quite beautiful, certainly unlike anything I've seen before." The boy grunted.

"That is because it is more beautiful than any other place in Valoran. I imagine it must have been particularly welcome after having to travel through Piltover, the hextech nightmare." Annie met the boy's gaze, not about to let him talk the city down.

"Piltover is just as beautiful in its own way." The boy smiled, turning his gaze away and back to face where the pair were moving as their feet took the lead, Annie finally getting the hang of it.

"I meant no offense, it is simply the truth. If believe it is the case my dear, I will respect your delusions."

"No offense? How is calling them 'delusions' respectful and not offensive?"

"I am acknowledging that you have that opinion, that is a greater courtesy than I allow most." Annie was reminded of who she was talking to, the sickening feeling returning as she tried to pry her hand out of his, but he was not done yet.

"It didn't have to go this way you know, I actually had hope for you." Annie looked at him, confused, still trying to get out of his grasp.

"Go what way? All you have done these last few days is show up and cause as much horror for me as you can! What did I do that was so wrong?" The boy tightened his grip, turning Annie so they stood face to face.

"You didn't do anything you stupid little girl, all that power and you did nothing. You could have razed entire states to the ground, taken your rightful place as a ruler, a queen! Instead you chose the Institute and your pathetic boyfriend, is that really what you think you are capable of? Oh my dear, sweet Annie, I will so enjoy showing you what true power is, what you could have had, as I drive your world into the ground." Annie was left speechless, mind running itself in circles as she tried to comprehend what was being said. She was terrified, the boys voice going from cocky and superior to dark and imposing, an unmistakable power behind them. He leant in closer, his lips almost brushing against Annie's ear.

"And I'll start with that little mummy of yours." Annie barely had time to gasp as her lips were captured, her body instantly losing the will to fight. She felt as though her very soul was being ripped out through her mouth, an overwhelming chill spreading across her cheeks and down her neck, clawing its way towards her chest. Her heartbeat quickened, but did nothing to warm herself or stop the traumatic experience. But worst of all was that she couldn't stop it. She kept willing her body to push away, to get him off of her, but her body would not respond. She could do nothing but observe as the dark mage slowly drained her of every ounce of energy she had.

"Annie?" Oh how she wished she could collapse then, at least then this moment could end and not fall further into this hell it had become. Although she heard Amumu's voice she could do nothing to acknowledge it, stuck in the embrace of the other young mage. Amumu had no clue how to respond to what he was seeing, because for all he knew Annie was currently making out with the young boy. He felt his rage building and, not able to bear looking at the scene anymore, took the easiest solution available. Turning his back on the scene, he stormed out of the party, desperately hoping everything he'd just seen was a horrible nightmare. As soon as he'd disappeared from sight, the boy pulled away from Annie, holding her now limp body up.

"Now that was refreshing, if only we could finish this here. Alas, it is not to be. Have fun with your mummy." The boy gently set Annie down, the pyromancer still trying to get enough energy to sit, let alone stand. The boy smiled at the scene, a sick, perverted smile that would disturb even the strongest of people. He turned to walk, only to bump headfirst into the body of a much larger man.

"You have a lot of explaining to do kid." The boy smiled at Yasuo, briefly taking in the sword by his waist.

"This is not a fight you can win warrior, step aside." Yasuo didn't back down, pointing at Annie.

"What did you do to her?"

"I wanted to borrow something." The boy spread his smiled wider, leading Yasuo to draw his blade and leave a nasty slice along the boys cheek in one swift movement. The boy cried out, briefly attracting the attention of some of the surrounding people. However, upon seeing Yasuo, they quickly returned to their own devices. The boy reached up and touched his face, looking down at his own blood on his fingers. His smile faltered for a moment, but then quickly returned to twice its previous side. He started to laugh.

"Oh you stupid man, you shouldn't have done that." The boy looked back up, meeting Yasuo's gaze, this time with a pair of emerald green eyes he had not possessed before. He reached out and grabbed the warriors shirt, fire spreading from his fingers and singing the Ionian material. Yasuo took a few steps back, desperately patting down his shirt to extinguish the small flames, and when he looked back up the boy was gone. He barely spared a second as he glanced over the crowd for the young mage before dashing over and picking up Annie's small body, carrying her outside as discretely and quickly as possible. Riven saw him along the way, picking up her pace when she noticed the body.

"Oh no, she isn't…" Yasuo shook his head.

"Her pulse is fine, but I need to find Soraka, could you get her for me, Amumu too if you see him." Riven nodded, rushing back into the party. Yasuo sat down and rested Annie's head on his lap, the girl finally stirring.

"Amumu…" Yasuo brushed a few strands off her face, offering her a weak smile.

"Sorry dear, but it's not him. Just hold tight, help is on the way." Annie barely made out the last part of that sentence, her mind drifting far away from the present. As much as she loathed the boy who seemed to make her life misery, she was angrier with herself. She had seen Amumu, known he was there, and was too weak to do anything. She knew it wasn't her fault, but she couldn't help but blame herself. All she'd had to do was refuse the dance and this never would have happened. Maybe if she weren't so shocked she'd have come to the conclusion that the same thing would have happened no matter what happened, but in her traumatized state she was capable of little more than sadness.

Eventually Riven and Soraka could be seen rushing out of the building and towards the pair, accompanied by two other figures Yasuo recognised. Yasuo briefly nodded towards Shen and Akali, the two Ionians looking deeply worried. Feeling a little under pressure with the small crowd, Soraka wasted no time in taking a knee and inspecting the small girl. Her temperature was fine, her pulse was normal, in fact as far as Soraka could tell she was in perfect health. She frowned, the gesture not going unnoticed by Yasuo.

"What is it?" Soraka shook her head, shaking her hands in frustration.

"She should be fine, I see nothing physically wrong with her besides how she is acting. What happened?"

"I saw some kid helping her to the floor. When I confronted him he threatened me then used some magic, and he got himself a nasty cut for it too." Yasuo showed the group the singed front of his tunic, the edges still burning a little. Something seemed to click then for Soraka, the pieces seeming to come together. Turning to Annie, she lightly lifted the young pyromancers head so that they were looking eye-to-eye.

"Annie, I need you to try and use your magic. Even a spark will do." Annie just managed to nod before closing her eyes. She stayed this way for over a minute before a small flame appeared on the tip of one of her fingers, Soraka breathing an audible sigh of relief.

"That's enough sweetie, you did well." Shen took a knee next to the healer, briefly touching the girl's head.

"She's out of balance, something attacked her soul. Very few people have that power, and none of them I know of are here besides me, and none of them are a young boy as far as I know." Soraka shook her head.

"It wasn't her soul, it was her magic. They literally tapped into the very power Annie possesses. I learnt about such things in the divine realm, but have never seen it practiced amongst mortals." Yasuo stood, walking over to Riven and putting an arm around her, the whole conversation suddenly very chilling.

"Let's not jump to any conclusions to quickly. I'd be a little reluctant to say some divine power is meddling with Annie just yet, let's just make sure she is better before we go finding the source." Riven pulled Yasuo a little closer, his wise words filling her with a sense of pride. The rest of the group nodded in agreement

"You're right, whatever caused this, right now she needs rest. Yasuo, would you be a dear and take the young one home?" The warrior nodded, breaking away from Riven before once again picking up Annie's body. It was weird carrying someone who seemed to be in perfect health but was incapable of walking. He said his goodbyes, offering Riven a shy wave before departing. He attracted a few peculiar looks as he headed through the streets, yet even Yasuo had to chuckle at how things must have looked.

Once at the apartment he knocked, only to receive no answer. Amumu clearly wasn't in. Ruffling through Annie's tiny pockets for a key, he was fortunate to find one, unlocking the door and taking Annie into the bedroom. She looked so frail and defenceless Yasuo couldn't bring himself to leave her, tucking her in as best as he could remember his father doing for him before laying down next to her, eyes on the ceiling. He scorned himself for not having noticed more of the boy, fear at what may have happened to Annie clouding his judgement. All he could remember was a pair of green eyes, a detail he was fairly convinced was absolutely pointless, for he was he was almost certain they did not belong to the boy.

* * *

 **Oh no, that doesn't sound good...**

 **Until next time ;)**


	19. Chapter 19

**Well... This chapter happened.**

 **Now I know this is M rated, and there is a lot worse stuff out there, but I feel as this is a little different to the rest of the story thus far I will put in a disclaimer. This chapter is dark, there is violence, there is swearing, there are some scenes which could be a little unsettling. Honestly, I don't fancy myself a good enough writer to capture those aspects in all their glory, but they are there, so approach with caution those of you looking for a sweet romance. I tried to throw some warmer scenes in there, but they are definitely overshadowede.**

 **On a slightly more light-hearted note, this chapter is very long, mostly because I really didn't want to split it up into three small chapters. They belong together, so enjoy the extra reading.**

 **Disclaimers aside, enjoy the read.**

 **-BJ**

* * *

Chapter 19 - Just A Game

Annie didn't want to open her eyes, still feeling incredibly groggy after what had happened last night. She rolled over, laying her arm across the warm body next to her, only to have the appendage lifted and put back over her body. A little disgruntled, she tried again, being met with the same result. Groaning, she managed to force her eyes open and almost jumped at the sight of Yasuo, lying deathly still staring at the ceiling next to her.

"You know you squirm a lot in your sleep, I don't know how you ever awake feeling rested." Annie desperately tried to recall what had happened. She, unfortunately, remembered everything about her run-in with the same strange boy and how she'd been kissed. She remembered Amumu's voice, but everything after that was hazy. She was fairly certain she remembered Soraka treating her, but even that memory was distant and unclear.

"Where's Amumu?" Yasuo stretched, finally sitting up from his position.

"That is a very good question, and I intend to answer that as soon as I've had something to eat; I am starving. Can I get you anything?" Annie tried to sit up, her head complaining at the sudden change in altitude. Such a condition had only one cure.

"Coffee sounds good." Yasuo raised an eyebrow.

"You actually drink that?"

"Only on bad mornings." Yasuo smiled and left, the smell of food and coffee soon filling the apartment. He returned not long after with a large mug of boiling, Annie greatly accepting it. She took a big drink, cringing a little at the way it burnt her mouth, but knowing there'd be no lasting damage. Perk of being a pyromancer she supposed. She eventually got up and joined Yasuo at the small table in their room, the warrior munching away on some toast while Annie drank her beverage in absolute silence.

"What happened last night?" Yasuo put down his fork, wiping his mouth before speaking.

"What is the last thing you remember?"  
"I was dancing with some boy, creepy kid, has…" Yasuo put his hand up.

"Don't worry, I met him. I didn't see what he did to you, when I arrived you were already weakened. On the up side, I left him a nasty little scratch, hopefully the damn thing festers. After that I got you to Soraka who looked after you, then brought you home, so you didn't miss much." Annie nodded, taking it all in. There was a knock on the door, Yasuo standing and making his way over. He opened it, raising an eyebrow at the person on the other side.

"Where did you disappear off to?" Amumu didn't smile, in fact he did nothing beside push past the warrior, heading straight to Annie. He tilted her face, looking into her eyes.

"Are you ok?" Annie smiled, nodding her head. Amumu breathed a sigh of relief, but his features did not change, his presence still seeming incredibly aggressive.

"Then what the hell happened last night?" Annie hung her head, Yasuo stepping in to try and explain, only to be cut off by a death glare from the young mummy.

"Why would you ever agree to dance with that boy, you shouldn't have even talked to him!? More importantly, why were you kissing him?" Annie felt tears coming on, uncontrollable tears. She could still feel where the boy had kissed her, the icy impression left on her lips from the contact. She had known Amumu had seen her, had known she'd have to explain herself, but she hadn't expected this. She wanted him to reassure her, to tell her everything was ok, why was he so angry?

"I didn't choose to kiss him, and once he started I physically could not stop." Yasuo coughed.

"I'm going to leave you two to sort this out, I'll be at the bar if you need me." Neither of the couple turned to acknowledge him, Annie still weeping and Amumu engulfed by his rage. The warrior snuck out the door, breathing a sigh of relief at escaping the tension.

"It's a kiss Annie, what do you mean you couldn't stop?" Annie stood up, throwing her arms in the air in exasperation.

"I physically could not! Whatever magic he had stopped me, why is that so hard for you to believe?" Amumu's rage seemed to subside a little, his head instead turning to the side as though in shame.

"I'm sorry, but what I saw didn't look like him torturing you." Annie realised what was happening then, and she had absolutely no idea how to respond to it. Amumu genuinely thought she had wanted to kiss the boy.

"You think I wanted that? Why would you think that?" Amumu hung his head, now more shameful than angry.

"Because I'm dead." Annie sighed, walking over and throwing herself on the couch. She'd though they'd moved past this back in Noxus, but it would seem old troubles die hard.

"Mumu, you know that doesn't matter to me."

"But it should Annie, you deserve nothing less than the best that life can offer you, and I can't give you that." Annie felt tears in her eyes; she was not about to have Amumu break up with her because he thought he wasn't good enough.

"You are the best thing life can give me, can't you see that? I don't want anything else."

"You must be curious though, about what you could be missing out on? Even that kiss, tell me you didn't feel anything, tell me it didn't feel more _alive_." Annie couldn't hold back the tears now, the drops practically streaming down her face.

"That kid is sick, and that kiss did nothing but make me want to throw up. Why are you being so mean about this?"

"Because when I saw you last night I realised how much I need you, and how much it hurt to think I could lose you. I can't be a good boyfriend, but I can at least try and be a friend. That way I get to stay with you and you can be happy." Annie stood up, putting both her hands an Amumu's face and looking deep into his eyes. She felt something stirring deep within her, slowly growing and rising.

"Stop this, please, just stop. You are a better boyfriend than I could ever possibly ask for, so please stop talking like a mad-man." Amumu's eyes seemed to stare straight through Annie, as though he wasn't exactly looking at her. Annie had seen this before, it was the same look he seemed to get when his curse was impacting him. It made sense that, given what had happened, he would lose a little bit of his control, and Annie was annoyed at herself for not seeing it sooner. She took a deep breath, calming herself before slowly stroking Amumu's head. They stood like that for a while, both slowly returning to their senses. It wasn't until Amumu blinked, body recoiling a little from Annie's grasp that she finally allowed herself to relax.

"I'm sorry." Annie smiled, laughing to herself in spite of the situation.

"Stop apologising so much silly, you weren't yourself." Amumu wrapped an arm around Annie, reassuringly resting his head on hers.

"I shouldn't have said any of that." Annie gently kissed him, silencing any further apologies. They simply stood there for a little longer, before Amumu let out a long sigh.

"This relationship stuff isn't easy."

"Nobody ever said it would be, but I guess you just learn to live with it." Amumu chuckled, earning him a quirked eyebrow from Annie.

"What's so funny?"

"That's an interesting way to put it, 'live with it'" Annie hit him gently on the chest, smiling at his dark sense of humour.

"That's a terrible joke to make!" More silence.

"You know, you don't have to stay dead." Amumu pushed back a little, the hints of his smile disappearing as he looked at Annie.

"What do you mean?" Annie took a deep breath.

"I was talking to Soraka and she said it is possible to help you." Now Amumu pushed entirely away, keeping his distance.

"You promised me you wouldn't do that."

"I know, but we were at Soraka's, I couldn't resist the temptation to ask."

"But why? I thought you were just trying to convince me it didn't matter what I was?"

"It doesn't!"

"Then why did you ask Soraka? Why would you bring that up now?" Annie rushed up and grabbed his arms, preventing him from moving further away.

"I was just curious, you seem so sad about it all the time, is it so wrong to want to ask? Can we please not argue about this as well?" Amumu pulled away, anger barely contained.

"We don't need to argue about it." And with that he turned and left, leaving Annie alone in the room. Frustrated, more at herself for being stupid enough to bring up her discussion with Soraka, she resigned to lying face down on the couch and crying for a little bit. It wasn't the best thing for calming herself down, but it at least felt good to be able to release the pent-up emotions. She continued to cry until her eyes were dry, at which point she took to pacing. She could feel her day wasting away, so deciding she didn't want it to be a complete waste, she quickly got changed and made her way out of the apartment, out of the hotel, out of the city and towards one of thee few sanctuaries she knew would be open to her. Surely Soraka would know what to do.

* * *

Meanwhile at some innocuous bar on the outskirts of Ionia, Yasuo drowned another drink, the bartender coming across to fill up his glass once again, only to be waved away by the warrior.

"I've had more than my fair share."

"Sounds about right for you." Yasuo turned to meet the newcomer, pulling up a spare seat.

"Shouldn't you be with Annie or something?"

"We aren't exactly seeing eye to eye at the moment." Yasuo grunted, resting his elbows on the counter. He was having enough trouble with his current relationship that having to deal with the young mummy's as well was not high on his to-do list. If it were anyone else he'd buy him or her a drink, but that probably wasn't appropriate.

"Did you meet the boy?" Yasuo nodded, shivering a little at the memory.

"There is something deeply wrong about that kid. You do realise Annie probably had no choice in anything that happened?" Amumu sighed.

"Yeah, I know, but things are just too complicated at the moment."

"She tell you she spoke to Soraka about your… condition?" Amumu turned to face the warrior, eyes wide in surprise.

"You knew?"

"Of course I knew, Soraka was never one for keeping secrets." The bartender came by again, lingering a little in front of Yasuo before the warrior gave in and asked for another drink. A glass of a bronze-ish liquid was placed in front of him, Yasuo putting the glass to his nose for a second before letting out a satisfied grunt and taking a sip.

"Why is it such a big deal with you two as to how alive you are?"

"To live is to be human I guess. If I'm not alive there will always be things I cannot do, cannot give to her. It's complicated." Yasuo shook his head, taking another sip.

"No it's not, it is never that complicated in relationships. People say that when they are hiding from something; a fear typically. What are you afraid of?" Amumu was silent for a moment, allowing Yasuo to finish the drink. The bartender began to make his way back over, only to be sent away by a quick glare from the warrior. Yasuo didn't need the temptation.

"I'm afraid that if I'm not alive, Annie will be unhappy." Yasuo shook his head.

"You are a terrible liar, that or you aren't good with the truth. If that was what you were afraid of you'd be overjoyed that Soraka could help, no matter the risks…"

"I'm afraid of dying, ok! I am as mortal as the next man!" Yasuo smiled.

"And now you are on the path to recovery." He waved his hands in the air sarcastically, emphasizing his point, a point that he clearly saw as a bit of a joke. There was a lot more to the warrior than Amumu could hope to understand.

The bar was quiet, understandably so given how early it was. Scuffles weren't uncommon in this area of town, but never at the hour it was, so raised voices got attention. The voice of the doorman was amongst these, having to be louder than the patrons simply as a requirement of his job. Thus, when he spoke, Yasuo and Amumu unconsciously listened.

"Sorry kid, but you are a bit young to be here."

"You spend most of your life a drunkard, and now you decide to have moral standards?" Yasuo and Amumu were up and out of their chairs in a moment, but it was too late for the poor doorman.

"Why you little wretch." The man reached over to grab the kid, but the boy was faster, clutching his wrist and smiling as the larger man wailed in agony before collapsing to the floor, pale as a ghost, but still very much alive. The boy laughed at the act, running his eyes over the mortified collection of patrons.

"Anyone who doesn't want to meet a similar fate, leave." There was a rush as people flooded out of the room, the bartender desperately trying to calm people down. Once the room was empty of everybody save the bartender, the unconscious doorman, the kid and the two champions, the owner got angry.

"This is my bar, how dare you attack someone like that here. The Ionian guard will have your head." The boy burst into uncontrollable laughter, leaning over and putting his hands on his knees to aid in his breathing. The whole act was overly dramatic, and it made everyone else in the room very uncomfortable.

"Oh dear man, I'm afraid if you try to say a single word to any guards you'll find yourself short a pair of lips to use. Now leave, before my hospitality wears thin." The bartender looked ready to protest, but a glance form Yasuo told him all he needed to know; this boy was not one for jokes. The bartender left, taking the unconscious doorman with him, leaving only three people in the room. The boy walked over to a nearby table, picking up a glass of half-emptied liquor and giving it a wiff, instantly recoiling and throwing the drink on the floor, laughing extensively as the glass shattered into a thousand tiny shards.

"You know, you two have given me a real headache, you especially." The boy pointed a lazy finger at Yasuo before stumbling over and sitting down in one of the many vacant chairs. He picked up another drink, gave it another sniff, then angrily ran his arm across the table throwing all the glasses to the floor, the sound of shattering glass filling the small bar.

"Does nobody here have any taste in drink? All of this Noxus crap, where are the Ionian brews?" He sighed deeply, turning his attention back to the now utterly confused duo at the bar.

"You know, it has been a long time since anyone has been able to lay a finger on me. I completely forgot about the scratch you gave me when I woke up this morning. I thought I had something crawling beneath my skin, slowly tearing me apart form the inside, so do you know what I did?" The boy tenderly rubbed his cheek, his smile disappearing from his face.

"I dug my fingers into the raw flesh and ripped it open, determined to get whatever it was out of my skin. But you know what, there wasn't anything. No, all I found was a nasty gash, now bleeding once again." He smiled, barely managing to contain his giggling as he continued.

"Do you know how much it hurt? My face felt like it was burning, and whom did I have to blame for it? The doctor I saw was no help; luckily his useless services won't be bothering anyone else in the future. Yet I realised it was not his fault. No, there were only a couple of people to blame, and so I saw an opportunity. Two birds with one stone I believe it is called." The boy stood, stretching his back as he finally allowed himself to laugh overtly, his monologue nearing its end.

"You hurt me warrior, but that's not what concerns me. What concerns me is that I never got to return the favour, which I think is justice if you ask me. You would know about justice, wouldn't you Yasuo?" Yasuo's hand fell to his blade, his fingers wrapping around the hilt in anticipation of the ensuing fight. The boy was not finished however, his attention instead turning to Amumu.

"As for you, firstly I must apologise. I thought lowly of you, and rightly so, but it seems you are going to prove to be a bigger pain in my side than I originally anticipated." The boy sighed, rubbing his temple as though in frustration, his smile disappearing for a moment.

"All the stupid little mage had to do was cooperate, was that too much to ask? Is it not possible for a single fucking soul in this accursed fucking world to do what they are supposed to do for once in the pathetic little lives!" The boy kicked a nearby table, the object flying into a nearby wall before becoming nothing more than a pile of splinters, the champions covering their eyes from the incoming shards. The boy didn't bother to protect himsel, laughing as wooden fragments pierced his flesh. He looked at a particularly large one jutting out of his forearm, slowly removing it with a loud, content sigh.

"I forgot what it was like to feel pain, and oh how I missed it. It reminds one of what this world is really capable of, makes them think about how fragile they really are." The boy threw the shard over his shoulder, once again turning his gaze to Amumu, their eyes meeting as the boy's entire demeanour seemed to change, no longer stifling giggles and smiling spontaneously. His face had gone completely deadpan, the mood suddenly incredibly serious.

"I'm going to kill her you know. I would like things to go another way, she is quite beautiful, and such a good kisser." Amumu clenched his fists.

"But she has something I need, and I'm afraid I can't have you getting in my way any longer. I don't intend to kill you, don't worry, I want you to be there afterwards, so I can give you her body and watch you cry as I show Valoran the errors of its ways. Yes, that does sound like fun." Yasuo growled, drawing his blade.

"You're mad." The boy laughed at this.

"Oh Yasuo, I'm not mad. No, just disappointed, that all of this couldn't have happened peacefully. Now please, give me your sword." Yasuo dashed forward and tried to run his blade along the boy's throat, but the kid was much too quick this time. The kid expertly moved so his body narrowly avoided the blade's edge, a laugh barely contained at the warrior's efforts to hit him.

"Please, don't make this harder on yourself. You are going to die, as is Annie, as is Soraka, as is Riven, as is every other person you two have ever loved and cherished. They're dead, all I have to do is claim their heads." There was a shout that filled the room, and instantly the boy felt something wrap around his waste. Before he could respond, Amumu came slamming into him, waves of magic radiating of the mummy and onto the boy. Yet the mage didn't falter, only smiling as his skin burnt and mangled under the magical radiation.

"Yes, show me that power." The boy put a hand an Amumu's face, digging his finger's deep into the mummy's bandages, claw-like nails digging beneath the fabric.

"Show me where your magic lies Amumu, teach me your strength." Amumu could feel the nails digging through more and more layers of bandages, slowly approaching what lay beneath. In a final attempt to get the boy to stop, Amumu dug his fingers into the horrible red-gash along the boy's cheek, the boy screaming in pain, before transitioning it to a laugh.

"You bastard." The boy threw his arms outwards, Amumu being sent flying into the opposite wall with such a force he felt something break in his shoulder. He knew his magic would fix it quickly, but it was incredible that the magic hadn't protected him in the first place. The boy began to approach Amumu, the same terrible smile upon his now mutilated face. He reach out to grab Amumu, only to be knocked to the side as Yasuo came slamming into him. Never before had Amumu seen a warrior move faster than Yasuo did in that moment, blade almost impossible to see as it found its way across the boy's body. Yet when Yasuo stopped, panting for breath after the relentless onslaught, the boy only laughed, revealing Yasuo had hit nothing but the clothes he was wearing. As impossible as it seemed, the boy hadn't suffered a single scratch.

"Nice try warrior, if it is any consolation you never stood a chance anyway." The boy moved forward with impossible speed, Yasuo too exhausted to dodge out of the way.

"Allow me." The boy reached out and put his bare hand on Yasuo's cheek, the warrior screaming in agony as the boy's laughter reached a new height.

"Amumu, find Annie, protect her." Those were the last words Yasuo managed to get out before his voice gave way, the strain on his body too much for even the simplest of sentences. Amumu felt a breeze beginning to pick up, some of the smaller objects in the room taking flight. He didn't wait around to see what was to come, rushing out the door, taking his bearing before heading back to his apartment in search of Annie.

Back inside the bar, the breeze had quickly gotten out of control, a fully-fledged storm now raging with the wooden walls. The boy dropped Yasuo to the floor, and through either some miracle or incredible will power, the warrior managed to bring himself to his feet. The boy took a step forward, picking up Yasuo's blade.

"Be a dear and sit still for me." The boy swung the blade, Yasuo watching as the first drops of blood ran off his chin before getting caught in the wind. The boy dropped the sword and walked out, Yasuo trying to follow after him only to collapse to the floor, his body still not fully recovered. The wind only seemed to get stronger, Yasuo beginning to notice the walls around him shaking violently, frames and lights falling from the walls and chairs now beginning to be picked up and thrown around. He closed his eyes, accepting his fate. Outside the boy looked off into the distance, just able to make out the silhouette of Amumu disappearing into the Ionian streets.

"You're too slow my dear." The boy walked away from the bar, not looking back as the building collapsed, the bang ringing out throughout the city, muffling the grunts of the warrior still trapped within.

* * *

Soraka had been very accommodating, offering Annie anything she asked for, except answers. When the healer had attempted to explain what had happened the night before, Annie found herself left with more questions than she'd had coming in. To Soraka's credit, most of them she couldn't hope to answer even if she'd wanted to, but that didn't do much to calm the nerves of the mage. Thankfully one area Soraka did seem able to offer advice and kind words was on Amumu, which Annie couldn't help but get upset over every time she thought of him. They'd spent most of their time in Soraka's comfortable living room, chatting and gossiping about seemingly meaningless things, from Quinn and Vayne's bet about which couples would get together over the festival to the peculiar relationship between the Noxian and Zaun champions. Soraka even wanted to talk about Warwick, a topic Annie had expected to be completely off limits, but which the healer handled incredibly well.

"How did he seem exactly?" Annie had smiled, offering a reassuring hand to the healer.

"He was happy. He had a particular interest in us apparently."

"Really? Why?"

"He said something about us being a sign of hope, particularly for him." Soraka sighed, leaning back in her chair.

"He was always a deceptive man, and I don't know if I can forgive him for what he did."

"He tried to eat your heart, didn't he?" Soraka chuckled.

"Not exactly. He needed the heart of a divine being for one of Singed's wicked experiments. He came to me one day pretending his wife had been hurt, and I tried to heal her, but she was already dead. I took pity on him, grew to care for him, so when I thought he was heading to danger I did what my instincts told me; I followed to help. It wasn't until afterwards I found out it was all a trick to steal my heart, a plan that failed obviously. Warwick's price was his humanity, my price was my immortality."

"That's a big price to pay." Soraka laughed at this, squeezing Annie's hand.

"Sweetie, I wouldn't change it for a second. Mortality has given me more than I ever could have hoped to achieve as a pure divine being. I forgave Warwick for what he did to me a long time ago, what I could not forgive him for was trying to kill me. For a long time he didn't seek forgiveness, he just wanted my heart to stop his torment. It wasn't until he began to lose his humanity that he realised how much of a monster he was, and what he'd done to the faith I put in him. The fact he is asking for forgiveness is pretty big, it may mean there is more human left in him than I first thought."

"Did you like him?" Annie looked to Soraka, the star child smiling calmly.

"Yes my dear, I believe I did."

Things were tranquil after that, the pair able to easily enjoy each other's company. The day passed by, and soon the sun was beginning to set below the trees. Not wanting Annie to make the trek back to Ionia alone, she offered the young mage a bed, which was eagerly accepted. They were sitting in front of the fire enjoying a warm beverage when there was a knock at the door, Soraka getting up to answer it. Annie heard the door open, followed by Soraka's gasp at the sight.

"Good lord, what has happened to you? Give me a moment, I'll help you with the wounds." There was a laugh, a laugh that caused Annie's blood to run cold.

"There'll be no need for that Soraka, you've already given me all I need." There was a gasp, Annie instantly turning to watch as Soraka fell to the floor, the boy's hand hovering in the air where Soraka's cheek had probably been a moment earlier. He looked terrible, wounds covering his body. His once formal attire was now shredded, as though torn at by some vicious creature. Most horrid was his face, a large red gash across one of his cheeks while the surrounding skin seemed mottled and burnt. The look did not last however, the boy's eyes turning a bright amber before the numerous scratches and scars began to nit themselves together, disappearing in an instant as his flesh returned to it's normal, pristine condition. It was then Annie noticed she was staring at him, the boy smiling at the horrified look on her face.

"Hello Annie dear, did you miss me?" Annie didn't waste time, sprinting through the house and out the back door into the surrounding forest. There were no lights in this region, nothing to show her which way to go. Accepting the fact she was probably not going to out-run him, she found the nearest decent hiding spot and crouched, saying a quick prayer to any of the Gods she knew that they would protect her. She thought that maybe she'd be ok, that maybe the boy wasn't going to chase her. Just as she was about to breath a sigh of relief she began to hear it, a faint sound in the distance. It seemed to be a song, not that she would call it a good voice, and the melody seemed to be frequently interrupted by fits of laughter. Annie knew exactly who it was. It wasn't long before his singing stopped, the boy now yelling her name amongst the trees.

"How did you like my new look? I feel it really brought out my humanity, don't you?" Annie made sure to slow her breathing, as little noise as possible escaping her.

"It's a pity you didn't get to see it for longer, as I'm afraid it's the last thing of your little mummy's that you'll ever get to see." Annie gasped, instantly clamming her hands over her mouth to stop the noise. The laughter stopped, and for a moment Annie thought she'd given her position away, but soon the boys maniac voice could be heard again, calling her name as though she were a lost puppy.

"Don't worry about him by the way, he's fine, in fact I believe he is off somewhere looking for you. Funny that he didn't come straight here though, did you two have a falling out?" Annie desperately tried to not cry, knowing the noise would be a give away. Amumu was looking for her, all she had to do was hold out until he got here. He would protect her.

"Same can't be said for your warrior friend I'm afraid. Pity really, he's one of the strongest people I'd ever had to fight. Too bad I had to bring the roof down on his parade." This seemed to make the boy laugh even harder than before, Annie not getting the joke. She could hear footsteps now, frantic and running around the bushes. There was no order behind where he ran, his feet taking him in every direction, even doubling back. Any veil of sanity had left, replaced instead by pure, unbridled chaos.

"Are you hiding from me? Ooh, I do so love a good game. Here, I'll make it more interesting; I'm going to count to ten, and if you haven't shown yourself by then, I head back to the hut and slit the divine's throat. Doesn't that sound like a good game? Let's start shall we?" The boy's footsteps stopped not twenty meters from Annie's hiding spot, his figure now well within her vision. He brushed off his tattered suit, returning to his once formal guise and staring up into the sky as he took a deep breath. He smiled before yelling the first number

"One." An eerie silence ensued, during which no sound was made. He looked around the forest, skimming right over Annie before sighing.

"You aren't making this any easier on yourself. Part of me still hopes you'll fight, but the more rational part has already given up on that. Born with the power of the gods but afraid to use it, what a pathetic disappointment, two." Still nothing.

"I really do wonder what your mummy would think of you right now, cowering for your own life as one of your friend's nears her end. That's not very just now is it? Three four five, my patience is wearing thin." There was a noise in a bush a little way off, the boy dashing over to it in an instance before ripping the bush from the ground, groaning as a small rabbit ran away from him. He stared at it for a moment before throwing out his hand, the small figure disappearing in a flurry of blood and fur. Annie tried not to throw up at the sight, the boy simply cocking his head before giggling to himself.

"Generally I prefer things a little more subtle, but you have to admit that has a certain dramatic touch to it. Everything seems fine then splat, gone. I wonder if that's what Yasuo felt in his last moments, tranquillity before the sudden end. It seems even in death though his injustice pollutes you, six seven." Annie was panicking now. She couldn't let Soraka die; she'd never be able to lie with herself. Besides, that wouldn't stop this lunatic, he'd made it very clear she was the one he was after, and killing Soraka would not satisfy his goal. He would keep hunting, keep killing. She wanted to weep for Yasuo, but that had to wait. Right now she needed a plan.

"Or maybe you're glad he's dead, maybe you love him more now. That is what you like though isn't it, dead people, rotting flesh and gnarly bones. I wonder how you can put your lips against that and still swallow your food. Heaven forbid you decide to mate with such filth, putting something like that inside your body? I think not, eight." The boy's feet began to make their way towards Annie, the mage still at a loss for a reasonable plan. The footsteps stopped, Annie fairly convinced the boy was hovering just above the bush she was hiding in. He spoke again, this time in barely a whisper, as though he knew Annie was close enough to hear him.

"You realise you don't deserve to live. You refuse to accept your birth-right. You let your friends die for you. You go against the very essence of humanity and fall in love with the dead. Your existence is a scourge on this world Annie, and you know it. Please, let me offer you redemption before your end, that is a chance not many would offer someone with such a record as yours." No response, Annie petrified by the boy's words. Was he right? Was what he said not true? She had power and refused to use it, justifying it all her life as caution, but now when it could be used to save people she still refused to fight. She was weak; maybe she didn't deserve her right. Yasuo had given his life to fight this monster, and Soraka's now hung in the balance, and she couldn't bring herself to speak, how could she live with that? And most of all there was Amumu, the boy who would give his life for her, if he had one to give. This boy was pulling out her very fears, but wasn't what he said the exact thing Darius had pointed out to them back in Noxus? The same worries they'd had for so long? Was it so hard to believe what this boy said was true? Annie saw now how wrong she was, finally getting the courage to do what she saw as right. The boy continued.

"Well, I'm afraid the game is almost up my dear, nine." Annie stood, revealing herself to the boy, staring him deep in the eyes, a sign of resignation, but with a hidden challenge. The boy had won, Annie was his, she would not let anything else happen because of her, but she'd be damned if he saw her cry. The boy didn't seem to mind, a smile filling his face.

"Good choice my dear. Come, quickly now, there is little time before I have to kill you, and I'd really hate to miss it."

* * *

 **This bad guy was originally supposed to be a creepy little dude who didn't get much character time, I don't know how he turned into this psychopath D:**

 **A few more notes, to those of you who have messaged me and are yet to receive a response, particularly to one in particular where we were in a discussion and I haven't respond yet, I will get around to doing it! I had exams this last weekend, and reports due by Friday, the only reason I am here submitting this now is because, heading back to my roots, this is a way for me to relieve stress. I should have responses out soon.**

 **I also need to update some of the summaries for texts, so if you see a story with one of my titles and my name but a different summary, don't panic!**

 **I am working on a big chapter for Heart of the Jungle at the moment which will take up most of my writing time, so expect a little delay on the next chapter for this. In the mean time, give my other stories a read if you haven't, and as always RFF to let me know what you think.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Almost there friends, so close to the climax we are all waiting for.**

 **To the person who left the Tibbers review, you made my day and deserve a medal!**

 **So yeah, enjoy a little more of psychos being psychos and lovers having revelations, next chapter will be something very different I promise.**

* * *

Chapter 20 - Price of Life

Amumu couldn't recall ever having run so fast in his life. From the moment he'd heard the bar collapse, instinctively knowing that Yasuo was probably still inside, he hadn't been able to think of anything other than running, letting his legs carry him to destination after destination in search of the one person who seemed to be at the centre of all this. He'd been desperately hoping Annie hadn't left the apartment, but when he ran face first into a locked door, the handle not budging as he'd hoped, his heart sank. Maybe she was inside sleeping? Amumu desperately fiddled around in his bandages for the key, finding it and bursting into the room, but it was obvious immediately that Annie wasn't here. He checked the room just in case, but was left disappointed. Curiously, Annie's backpack had been left in the room as well, which meant she probably hadn't decided to go shopping. He picked up the small pink bag and opened it, praying there was something inside that could point the way. The first thing that caught his eyes was a photo, an old negative of the two of them, playing happily. The sight brought a tear to his eye; how could he have treated Annie the way he did? The next item in the bag of interest was Tibbers, Annie's trusty old companion sitting there, looking exceptionally lonely. Amumu inspected the rest of the bag for clues, but found nothing.

There really weren't that many places in Ionia that Annie would trust. The first one that came to mind was Soraka's house, but that was so far out of the city it seemed unlikely Annie would go there. Amumu mentally wrote out a list of places to check, rushing to the door to continue his search. He was about to close the door before something stopped him. Re-entering the room, he grabbed Annie's backpack and threw it over his shoulder.

"We're going to find her, don't worry." Tibbers obviously didn't respond, but the idea of a companion, no matter how monstrous, was reassuring to the young mummy. He closed the door, bolting down the stairs towards the first of many fruitless locations.

It was approaching the evening when Amumu finally found himself on the trail to Soraka's house. He was so frustrated with himself for not going there first, it seemed so obvious now that she'd seek out Soraka, or maybe that was just Amumu's guilt at not thinking of it sooner. He could feel the curse tugging at his chest, threatening to take hold at any moment, but for the first time in his life he found himself able to hold it back. If it weren't for the dire circumstances he'd probably have been incredibly proud, but as it were there was no time for such thoughts. The fact of the matter was he had to find Annie, and he wasn't going to let some pathetic curse get in his way. To make matters worse the wind had begun to pick up over the last half hour, a storm clearly approaching on the horizon. The whole world seemed to know something was wrong.

Amumu was finally able to see the house in the distance, the sight of his goal giving him a renewed burst of energy, taking him to his destination even faster. It was when he'd covered about half the distance that he saw the open door, his heart sinking; Soraka was not one to forget to close the door. He threw his bandages at the door, pulling himself towards the house. The magic left a nasty dent on the wooden door, but when Amumu saw Soraka's pale body lying motionless on the ground, he decided that didn't really matter. He leant over and checked her breathing, almost laughing in relief as he felt the warm air escaping her mouth. She seemed as normal as ever, just a little drained of energy. He lifted her up, carrying her over to one of the chairs before trying to wake her. It took some time, time that Amumu knew he could be using to search for Annie. He was putting his faith in Soraka knowing where she was going. Slowly Soraka's eyes opened and she managed to weakly lift a hand onto Amumu's shoulder, trying to use it to lift herself up. She failed, and Amumu gently pushed her back into the seat.

"You're too weak, just relax and recover. What happened here?" Even talking seemed to be an effort for the healer, but she eventually managed to find her voice.

"Some kid… Attacked me at the door… Stole my magic… Annie…" It wasn't much, more fragments than actual information, but Amumu managed to piece it together. Looking around the room he could see an overturned chair, clearly exited quickly, and a trail of muddy footprints through the house that were clearly too large to be Annie's. There was a light bang, Amumu looking up to see the back door blow closed under the breeze outside. He quickly darted out the back, looking out into the jungle in hope, but again nothing. Panic started to grip him, his heart seeming to tighten within his chest. He as too slow, the boy had got to Annie first.

Amumu almost jumped when the hand fell on his shoulder, but soon felt his body calming. Soraka was probably working some sort of magic on him, but it was working.

"Relax, we'll find her." Amumu wanted to cry, to burst into tears right there on the spot. Soraka didn't know they'd find her, for all they knew she was already dead. And now they were out in the jungle somewhere, making the job all the more impossible. Soraka may have had confidence, but Amumu certainly didn't.

"I left her. I got angry and walked away when I should have been there to protect her." Soraka's grip tightened on his shoulder, getting his attention.

"None of this is your fault, this is the work of dark magic neither of us could have foreseen." She was right of course, but that was a hard reality to swallow. He brushed her hand off, turning to walk inside.

"You should still be resting." Soraka shook her head.

"Not while Annie is out there somewhere. Once we've found her, then I'll rest." Amumu thought on this for a moment; more help was certainly welcome.

"Where do you propose we look first?" Soraka was silent, Amumu eventually turning to face her. The look on her face was frightening, eyes wide and dilated as if looking off into another world. Her skin seemed to shimmer ever so slightly, and Amumu could almost feel the magic radiating off her. After a few seconds the moment was over, Soraka returning to her normal self, a pained smile forced onto her face.

"I think I know exactly where to look." Amumu raised an eyebrow at this.

"How do you know that?" Soraka smile faded entirely, and Amumu could have sworn she shivered.

"A very old trick, but a reliable one." Amumu was sceptical, but he wasn't about to argue with a lead. He motioned for Soraka to lead the way, the healer locking her house before making her way along the path back towards the city. They were about halfway along the track when she stopped, Amumu turning to look at her in question.

"The boy's wounds, they looked like…"

"Like they came from Yasuo." Soraka didn't need to ask her question. She'd experienced first hand the power of the psychotic mage, she didn't want to think what would have happened to someone who actually managed to hurt him. Amumu only confirmed her suspicions, shaking his head slowly as tears began to fill his eyes. Soraka couldn't help it, and she too was soon in tears, overwhelmed by sadness at the warrior's fate.

* * *

Meanwhile back in the city, Riven was removing yet another splinter from her bloodied hands. When she had made the decision to come to Ionia to find Yasuo, it hadn't been one made rationally or with foresight. She'd been angry, nay, furious at the balls of the stupid wanderer for not coming and finding her for the festival of love, despite the two of them being together for the good portion of a year now. But when she saw Amumu running frantically through the streets and heard the bang as the bar collapsed in on itself, she was so glad she'd made that decision. To say the bar had been destroyed would be putting it lightly. Every wall of the wooden building had been decimated. It was a miracle nobody had been close enough to get hurt as the building came down, or at least nobody that could be seen. Riven wasn't sure how she'd known, but part of her wouldn't shake the feeling that Yasuo was under all that rubble. Thus, when she realised nobody was going to check the rubble themselves, she leapt upon the pile and started digging. She'd heard the people whispering under their breath, calling her a crazy person for what she did, but she didn't care. She wasn't going to lose him. It didn't take long for her hands to begin dripping with blood, the fractured wood littered with dangerous points.

She heard the first grunt after about thirty minutes of digging. She had caused it quite by accident, throwing a wooden beam to the side in frustration, only to hear the pained noise coming from the place she'd thrown it. She blushed a little at her stupidity, but didn't dwell on it for long. She rushed over and renewed her efforts at double speed. She moved a particularly large beam to the side, tears forming in her eyes at the sight before her. Yasuo; bloodied, bruised and clearly in a lot of pain, but very much alive. There was still a lot of rubble on top of him, but Riven was not patient enough to bother clearing all of it. In a display of pure strength, she gripped Yasuo's barely visible shoulders and pulled. The warrior let out a cry of pain, eyes shooting open as he struggled against Riven. But he was weak and Riven was driven, his body eventually coming free from the wreckage and resting gently on Riven's lap. She stroked his cheek affectionately, the warrior opening his eyes slightly to look at her.

"That hurt a lot you know." Riven laughed, a noise which sounded very uncomfortable for the warrior.

"Would you rather I have left you there?" Yasuo leant up and kissed her cheek, grimacing after the act at the pain it caused him. Her cheek was scratched and dusty, and his lips hadn't faired much better, so the kiss was messy and not very pleasant, but it was one that neither of them would ever forget.

After what felt like way too long authorities began to arrive at the scene, guards asking questions of the surrounding people. Doctors had come too, but Riven sent them all away. It wasn't until Akali showed up that Riven finally relinquished control of Yasuo's body. He smiled up at the stunned ninja.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" Akali shook her head, a small smile gracing her face.

"You have a real knack for getting into trouble you know. What happened here?" Yasuo's smile faded as he tried to push himself up, almost screaming at the pain it caused him. Riven instantly jumped up and helped Akali restrain him, Yasuo shaking his head.

"No, forget me, you have to find Annie. She's in trouble." Riven roughly grabbed his face, making sure he stopped moving his neck.

"Calm down, you're just going to make things worse." Yasuo grabbed Akali's wrist, looking up at her pleadingly.

"Go find Soraka, Shen, anybody. You have to find her before it's too late." Akali just looked at Riven, the warrior deep in thought. Eventually she nodded.

"I can take care of him, you go find her." The assassin didn't waste a moment, getting up and running off into the town, completely ignoring the guards that tried to ask her what was happening. Riven pulled Yasuo a little closer to her chest, the injured warrior letting out a sigh.

"I'm glad you came." Riven scoffed.

"Because I saved your life?" Yasuo laughed, cringing at the pain it caused.

"Well, there is that." Riven looked a little crestfallen, but she blushed when Yasuo looped his fingers between hers. He didn't need to say anything, the look he gave her was enough to put to rest any concerns Riven may have had. The guards began to close in on them, taking in the wreckage with shocked expressions, and the couple with a sense of silent envy.

* * *

The worst thing about the little psychopath was that he was so overwhelmingly gentle. Even when Annie tripped and refused to get up, purposely trying to upset him, he would speak in his soothing voice, urging her to get up, even lending a hand on occasion. He treated her like a flower, delicate and beautiful, but inevitably doomed to wilt. The one good thing in Annie's opinion was that he'd stopped laughing, instead choosing to mutter to himself, waving his hands through the air as though drawing a map or diagram in the space before him. It was unsettling to say the least, especially since most of the actions seemed to involve burning or stabbing, but reassuringly there was also a lot of him waving his hands through the air as though clearing a blackboard. He wasn't certain yet, there was still a chance.

"You've been awfully quiet dear, is something the matter?" His voice was filled with concern, and not the kind that someone puts on because they know it is what's expected, but genuine, heartfelt concern. It made Annie sick, and she had to resist the urge to spit in his face.

"Forgive me if I don't want to talk much to the person going to kill me." The boy shrugged.

"Your choice dear, I'm just offering you company." Annie straightened herself, walking past the mage to take the lead, in spite of having no idea where they were going. They'd been working for almost the entire evening and she still wasn't sure if he even knew where he was going, even if he seemed to walk with intent. She turned to look over her shoulder, giving him a menacing smile.

"No offence _dear,_ but I would rather the company of a hundred Dravens than one of you." The boy laughed, Annie instantly regretting bringing that bone-chilling noise back.

"Institute references? Really? You really are too far gone." He didn't wait for Annie to respond, picking up his pace and retaking the lead, being sure to shove Annie hard enough to send her to the floor. This was a new reaction from the boy, one Annie hadn't been expecting; anger. The mention of the Institute made him genuinely angry. She smiled to herself, taking her feet. This boy had weaknesses, even if he didn't show them overtly.

The sun was beginning to rise when the boy began to slow down, taking more time to inspect their surroundings. They were clearly close to something, although Annie couldn't imagine what he could be looking for amongst the forest. The outlook hadn't changed during their last twelve hours of walking, why would it be any different now? The boy kept moving forward, the lack of sleep finally catching up with Annie as she fund herself slowing down. This didn't escape the notice of the boy, offering another of his caring expressions.

"Do you want me to carry you? You are so tired." Annie scowled, composing herself in spite of her fatigue. She didn't answer, just kept walking, the boy dropping the subject. It seemed she could still retain some of her dignity, if for no other reason than to avoid the touch of the psychotic mage. She began to notice that the foliage was getting thinner, more and more space appearing between the trees. Eventually the forest stopped altogether, replaced by a rather well kept clearing in the middle of which stood the entrance to a temple. It wasn't like the other temples Annie had seen, lacking many of the flourishes that typified the Ionian style. It was then Annie realised where she was.

"The temple of the Soul Fire." The boy finally caught up, rushing past her and to the sealed entrance, running his hands along the stone.

"That is a terrible name, honestly, do people have no respect?" Annie began to move forward, suddenly feeling significantly more tired. They'd reached their destination; surely it wouldn't be so bad if she sat down for a little?

"Why are we here?" The boy was still fumbling around with the entrance, but managed to answer her question.

"Many years ago, the divine beings created Runeterra. Wanting to ensure they could reach the world if they so pleased, they built temples that operated as gateways. The most famous one lies atop mount Targon, but there are others. I found this one quite by accident many years ago, and it changed my life." Annie was confused. Divine gateways? What did any of that have to do with her capture?

"Thanks for the history lesson, but _why_ are we here?" The boy paid no attention, continuing his story.

"The problem is that the divines are picky. Why do you think so few people return from mount Targon? That temple desires the strong and the determined, this one _craves_ a finer delicacy." The boy put his hand to his mouth and bit down hard, spitting raw flesh and blood onto the nearby ground. He ran the open wound over the door, fresh red blood dripping down the stonework. Annie felt like she was going to be sick.

"Don't worry, your blood will stay in your body. Soul Fire was an ancient term for life and everything it entails. This temple feeds off hope, fear, potential; everything that one gains simply from being alive. It just needs a little taste before it'll let us in." The boy held his hand out for Annie to see before channelling a little magic and healing his wound. He was really glad he'd met Soraka.

"When I found it however the door was already open, my potential enticing it more than any amount of blood could. Being the curious young man I was I descended deep into the temple in search of treasures and adventure. Then I found it, shimmering as though a beacon, calling to me." There was a loud bang and the sound of scraping, Annie noticing the large stone door sliding away.

"It promised me power of the likes the world had never seen before. How could I possibly decline? It gave my life purpose, and now, all these years later I can fulfil it." Something about the way the air seemed to blow out of the temple spooked Annie, and she found herself back on her feet, backing away from the temple. There was something deeply unnatural about this place, and the way the boy was talking did not help that feeling.

"It's too late to change your mind now dear, far too late. It knows you're here and it craves to meet you. Can't you hear it calling?" The boy reached out a hand, Annie knowing that the moment it touched her skin she'd be unable to do anything. She stepped back but tripped, falling onto her back. She was so tired, there was no way she could keep running. The boy took a knee, smiling tenderly before reaching forward.

But his hand never reached her face. From the bushes came a guttural cry, and the boy was suddenly knocked away from Annie, landing with a grunt some ten meters away.

"Why does nobody ever just let things go according to plan?" Annie felt a hand on her shoulder, and she smiled at the touch. She didn't need to see them to know who it was. The moment he touched her she'd felt it, something flowing over her, protecting her. Amumu turned to face the now prone boy, the latter slowly pulling himself to his feet, cracking his neck to relieve some of the pressure. He turned around to see his attacker, bursting into laughter at the sight.

"You again? Wow, bugger a pain in my side, you are a fully fledged migraine!" The boy threw his hands forward, the nearby trees mimicking the movement as an incredibly gust of wind came flying into Amumu, throwing him back into a nearby tree. He didn't stay down for long, getting back to his feet, but the boy was already with Annie, grabbing her exposed wrist and dragging her over to the door. She didn't fight, she couldn't, the remnants of her energy disappearing. Amumu again threw out his bandages, but the boy was ready this time, a gush of flames bursting forth to ignite them before they could make contact. The boy roughly dropped Annie by the temple's entrance, turning back to face the mummy.

"Tell me, did you find his body?" He took a couple of steps forward, flames licking off his ankles and scorching the surrounding grass. He ran a hand through his hair, a couple of strands being singed on contact. He looked volatile, as though he could combust at any moment. What Amumu didn't know was whether or not he wanted that. From the corner of his eye he was able to make out Soraka sneaking out of the trees towards Annie. So far things seemed to be going according to plan. The boy suddenly screwed his face up, clutching the sides of his head.

"It doesn't like you. You insult what it stands for."

"Luckily I really don't care what your damn temple thinks." The boy had just enough time to see Amumu drop Annie's bag before a small brown object landed at his feet. It was a comical sight, but the boy did not laugh; it seemed his sadistic sense of humour did not extend as far as whimsical jokes. He picked Tibbers up, looking the stuffed bear over with a critical eye before raising a curious eyebrow at the mummy.

"Is this supposed to be scary?" The boy tossed the bear aside, staring at it for a moment as though in thought. Then he smiled, extending his hand and blasting the teddy with a raging torrent of fire. There was a scream, Amumu and the boy turning to look at the now awake Annie, tears in her eyes as she looked at the smouldering pile that had once been her most trusted companion. Soraka pulled her closer to comfort her, the boy smiling at his fortune.

"Oh goodie, I was hoping I'd get to see you again. Your powers do have a remarkable way of keeping me perky." The boy was cut off by a low, rumbling growl. He turned to the source of the noise, gawking as a giant flaming bear began to emerge from the ashes that had once been Tibbers. His eyes grew wide, a smile spreadin from ear to ear as he took a step towards the beast. He reached out as thought to touch it, only to be thrown backwards by a giant paw flying into his chest. The boy let out a cough, a small splattering of blood coating the nearby grass. Tibbers charged, the boy managing to summon of enough magic to blow the pear of balance and into a nearby tree. In his peripherals he noticed Soraka leading Annie away from the temple, instantly turning on them with glistening eyes.

"And where do you think you are going." He tilted his head towards Soraka, extending a hand as though lining her up. Soraka couldn't do anything but stare, knowing the boy would not miss. Fire began to lick his fingertips, about to spring forth at the healer when he heard the faint sound; paper blowing in the breeze. He instantly whirled around, dousing Amumu in flame while laughing his head off. The mummy screamed, the heat so intense he could feel it beneath his bandages. Annie screamed again, the boy raising his other hand to point at them. There was a roar, Tibbers having recovered from his misadventure. The boy's eyes flicked from Tibbers to Amumu to Annie, before shouting out in frustration.

"Everybody stop!" And they did, each party freezing on the spot as they eyed off every other party. The only one that dared fidget was Tibbers, the bear running his flaming claws along the ground, snarling at the boy who was threatening his Annie. The boy seemed intrigued by the creature, not taking his eyes off it. He pointed a finger at Annie, the mage jumping in fear of being incinerated. But there was no magic, simply a gesture.

"This is one of yours isn't it?" The bear reared up onto its hind legs, gaining a good two feet over the curious boy. It would normally be enough to intimidate even the strongest of souls, but it only seemed to make the boy more curious.

"I've got to admire your creativity, certainly is a scary little thing, but your vision disappoints me. I was thinking something with a little more of an Ionian flare." The boy raised his hands towards Tibbers, the bear meeting his gaze in contest. Something began to flow off the boy, glowing an eerie orange and creating some indistinguishable form. The boy threw his arms to the side, and from the glowing blob appeared two large, burning wings. Everyone backed away from the boy as the dragon began to grow more and more refined, a large fang-ridden jaw snapping at the now insignificant Tibbers, a long barbed tail whipping sporadically through the air burning anything it touched. With a final burst of scalding air the dragon turned its mouth to the sky, releasing a beacon of fire many meters into the air. It stalked its way around the boy, blocking Amumu and Tibbers off from the boy, Annie and Soraka. The boy turned around, walking straight up to Soraka and roughly grabbing her wrist, throwing her aside as he pulled Annie up by her shirt, making his way towards the temple. Tibbers roared at the boy, charging directly at the dragon. The larger beast threw the bear aside as though it were no more than a pesky insect landing upon its skin, but it at least bought time. Amumu ducked past the creature and raced up towards the boy, not stopping to check on the downed healer. The moment the boy crossed the threshold of the temple, Annie in tow, he turned to Amumu, breathing a deep sigh of relief. He gripped a fistful and Annie's hair and turned her towards the mummy.

"Don't be rude dear, say goodbye." Annie had tears in her eyes, and seeing Amumu so close but unable to go to him only made it worse. She hung her head, trying not to make eye contact.

"I'm so sorry." The boy pulled her head up a little more, earning a little shriek from the mage.

"No, no no no, try again. Look him in the eyes and say it!" She met his eyes, trying to hold back her tears. Amumu looked so drained, as though he needed to lie down and sleep, or whatever it was he did. Annie almost smiled despite herself, the happy thoughts only serving to bring more tears closer. At least once this was over he'd be free to move on with his life.

"Goodbye Amumu." Amumu threw out his bandages, wrapping around his target. The boy didn't fight it, letting himself get wrapped up and putting his arms out as though in greeting as Amumu propelled himself forward. Amumu barely had time to register Soraka's cry of warning before he hit the threshold of the temple. Everything went black, and soon he couldn't see or hear anything. A jolt shot down his spine, the pain so intense Amumu couldn't even bring himself to cry out. Just as quickly as it happened it was over, Amumu looking lazily up at the boy, still separated by the entrance to the temple.

"It never did like the dead," Amumu could just make out Annie, reaching out to her, Annie returning the act. The boy was having none of it however, allowing the two to get within a hair's width of each other before pulling Annie away and into the temple, the mage calling Amumu's name the whole way. The stone door slid close, silencing the pained voice. Annie was gone.

Amumu threw his head back against the ground, wishing for once that his bandages wouldn't protect him. He had failed; she was gone. Everything suddenly seemed to lose importance. He could still hear the wild roars of Tibbers and the dragon fruitlessly fighting each other in the background, but the damage they wreaked didn't matter. Yasuo's death? An unfortunate outcome in an already tragic tale. He heard voices whispering in his ears, reminding him of his defeat. He lost the will to move, simply letting his empty shell of a body sink into the floor. Even when he felt the soothing magic of Soraka's healing wash over him he couldn't bring himself to respond, the entire world losing any weight within his heart. He was about to close his eyes, determined never to open them again, when Soraka gave him the glimmer of something he so desperately needed; hope.

"I can get you inside." Amumu shook his head, not daring to believe the enticing words. Soraka gripped his face, forcing him to look into her eyes. It was then he saw what she meant, what her plan entailed. She had known what this would cost him right from the moment she'd figured out where they were going. He could see she'd been preparing for this moment, to give him the choice that would quite literally change his life. An ultimatum between a certain life worth nothing, or a chance, no matter how small, at a life of value. He had one chance to save Annie, and even if it meant doing the thing he feared the most, he had to try. He nodded, Soraka taking a deep breath before placing her hands on Amumu's chest. The mummy felt a strange warmth surging from his chest, and instantly his mind turned to Annie. Of the way she smiled when he made a stupid joke, or the stubbornness she'd display even at the stupidest of times. He felt happy for a moment, and then the next he felt nothing at all.

* * *

 **RIP Amumu...**


	21. Chapter 21

**I'm going to be frank, this chapter concept was a lot better in my head than in text. I'm not disappointed with how it went necessarily, but it could have been done better. This is also a kind of odd twist to the norm, so I may revisit it later.**

 **If you really want to get the most out of this chapter I suggest you go read the new lore for Amumu, the whole thing in Shurima will make a lot more sense if you do! This is kind of my twist on the lore, after all, nobody is entirely sure what happened to Amumu.**

* * *

Chapter 21 - Memories

Another coughing fit racked the small prince's body, the bed shaking wildly beneath him. He couldn't remember how long it had been since he'd been able to leave his room, the disease slowly gnawing at his bones. He was destined to die, like so many other Shurimans cursed by this plague. He was just glad that his brother was in fine health; the glory of his family's name would endure. He turned his head to the side, groaning at the pain that erupted up his body. From his new position he was able to look out his window over the capital of Shurima. It was a truly awe-inspiring sight; a true oasis amidst the deadliest location in Valoran. He felt a few tears forming in the corners of his eyes as he wished he could leave the palace, feel the warmth of the sun upon his skin. Oh how he missed the feel of the sun. Every Shuriman from a young age was told of the power it possessed, a magic of the like people could not comprehend.

Amumu extended his hand in front of his face, smiling as he saw the still familiar golden glow as his own magic flickered off his skin. He'd been told that he would die within weeks of his disease, but he'd now lived more than a year. It was a painful existence, but at least it was one. Some people wondered if his magic granted him immortality, and while the thought did hold some appeal, Amumu could feel his body weakening. It had been getting worse and worse recently, and he knew his time amongst the living was coming to an end. He had no doubt his magic would draw it out, but his end was still inevitable.

There was the sound of scuffling outside of his room, Amumu instinctively knowing who was outside. He waited in anticipation for the soothing voice, the last sound in this world that gave him true happiness.

"Are you awake my lord?" There it was, a smile instantly crossing the prince's dry lips. It hurt to laugh, but he was willing to spare himself a short chuckle. The warmth it granted outweighed the pain it caused.

"I don't think I can sleep any more Annie, of course I'm awake."

"Annie?" Amumu's brow furrowed, images of a pink haired girl flashing in front of his eyes for a moment before disappearing, replaced instead by the young servant girl he had befriended. He shook his head, confused as to where the strange, very non-Shuriman name had come from.

"Sorry Aria, I have no idea where that came from." He shifted up in his bed, already knowing the next question. It had become a regular routine over the past month.

"Is it alright to enter my lord?" Amumu sighed.

"If you like risking you life, go for it. And please stop calling me lord!" The door creaked open and in walked a young girl no older than himself, flowing brown hair tied back neatly behind her back. She wore the typical robes of the royal servants, which Amumu always considered too revealing. He had his suspicions as to why, power can get to the head of some people and perversion wasn't uncommon. Not that Amumu ever looked at them that way; Aria's beauty was in her words and her smile, not her body. She took a step into the room, blushing a little as Amumu watched her inch forward. She shut the door behind her, finally relaxing a little. Nobody was permitted inside the prince's room due to his sickness, especially a servant girl.

"You are looking better." Amumu chuckled, grimacing as he did.

"Don't lie to me Aria, I look like absolute shit." Aria gasped at the foul language, something she'd never heard from the prince before.

"Oh please, with everything I'm going through I think I'm entitled to a little bad language, don't you?" Aria shrugged, setting herself down on Amumu's bed. The prince shuffled away a little.

"Please, you won't hurt me." Amumu looked at her closely before responding.

"You don't know that. You are risking everything each time you come near me, I'm allowed to be cautious." Aria put her hands up, letting a small flicker of gold run off her skin and into the air, shimmering a little around her body. It had taken Amumu a long time to convince her to show him her magic, and even longer to convince her that it would protect her. Her confidence had grown a lot since then, too much in his opinion. His disease was still lethal, if she got it he would never forgive himself.

"I can take care of myself, you needn't worry my lord."

"My name is Amumu!"

"But you will always be my lord." Aria chuckled, reaching over to touch his hand. Amumu tried to pull away but Aria was too fast, leaning forward and grasping his wrist. Amumu's vision changed, now overlooking a green field from inside a warm, cosy room. He was standing, already something truly marvellous. He felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist, a voice whispering agonizingly close to his ear.

"Save me." Amumu shook his head, the vision fading until he was again looking at Aria playing with his fingers. Amumu quickly jerked away.

"Aria, what are you doing!? You'll infect yourself!" Her eyes glowed a deep, foreboding yellow, but the smile on her face was warm and welcoming.

"I'm strong enough to stop it, don't worry."

"I do worry about you Aria, every single day. I'm going to die, I can feel it drawing closer every day. I just want you to be safe, for your grandmother, for my peace of mind." Aria slumped, gripping a handful of the mattress in her grasp.

"You aren't going to die." Amumu smiled at her confidence, but he was not so naïve.

"I am dying Aria, there isn't anything you can do to help."

"I could talk to Grandma, she may know of a cure." Amumu openly laughed at this.  
"If she knew of a cure she could have saved many people already." Amumu leant forward, reluctantly placing his hands on hers. He felt the feint tingle as their magic mingled, protecting her from the life-threatening illness.

"Just be safe Aria, I can't lose you." There was the sound of movement outside the door, Aria rushing off the bed and hiding behind the large wardrobe. Nobody dared enter the room, not many possessed magic as she did to protect herself, but one could never be too cautious.

"Is everything well my lord?" It was one of the other servants, one Amumu did not recognise.

"Everything is fine, be on your way." Aria slowly made her way out of her hiding spot, breathing a sigh of relief.

"I should be leaving my lord."

"Wait." Amumu ushered her over, motioning for her to lean in close. When she was close enough to Amumu that he could hear her breath, he leant forward and put a soft kiss on her cheek. He closed his eyes, saving the moment to memory. He opened his eyes, but he no longer saw the soft features of Aria. Instead there was a pair of intelligent, green eyes, framed by vibrant pink hair. He felt her name on the tip of his tongue, a name that was both familiar and unknown at the same time. He blinked and the moment was over, Aria looking at him with wide eyes, a hand slowly coming up to touch her cheek.

"Be safe Aria." The young servant girl nodded, carefully making her way out of the room. As soon as she left Amumu entered into another coughing fit. He put his hand up to cover his mouth, pulling it away afterwards only to see the faintest splattering of blood on his palm. He looked at the door Aria had exited not moments earlier. His days were numbered, but all he could think about was Aria's safety.

* * *

Sleep was next to impossible for the young prince, coughing fits or sheer pain preventing even a few minutes of rest. He took to looking at the intricate stone roof above his head. The Shuriman royal palace was truly something to marvel at. Amumu could still barely remember looking at the beautiful archways leading up to the spectacular entrance. He wished he could go and see them one last time, but it had become painfully clear that day that he would never get any such chances again. He closed his eyes, trying desperately not to let the thoughts bring him down. He was fairly convinced these would be his last days; he refused to die with tears on his cheeks.

He opened his eyes, almost jumping back at the sight. He was no longer in Shurima, nor was he in the room from his vision earlier that day. The room was unlike anything he'd ever seen, a large glass window covering a whole wall overlooking a city of the likes Amumu had never seen in Valoran. Towers stretched up to the sky, lights covering almost every inch of them. Objects seemed to fly around outside, too large to be any creatures. He looked at his arms, astonished to find them covered in green bandages. He dug away at them, desperate to find his skin underneath them. When he felt it the flesh was cold and lifeless, which although distressing in its own way was somewhat reassuring. It beat the horrible hot flushes caused by his disease. It had to be a nightmare, but it all seemed so real. The image wasn't perfect, but he could have sworn he knew the place, as though part of a memory long forgotten.

He felt something running up his spine, causing him to shiver. Slowly it made its way over his shoulder and across his chest, Amumu recognising it as a small, feminine hand.

"Save me." It was the same voice from before, a soft, reassuring whisper against his ear. It sent a chill through his body. He felt the hand trail down his body, meeting another as both wrapped around his waist. He felt the girl's chin come to rest on his shoulder, her breathing soft and steady.

"Who are you?" The girl's lips come back to his ear, putting a soft kiss to his skin. Amumu felt something stir in his blood, an excitement that confused him.

"You know who I am."

"Annie." The girl lightly gripped his chin, turning his head so he faced her. It was the same girl, pink hair and green eyes.

"Save me." Amumu suddenly bolted upright, almost screaming at the pain. He was back in Shurima, the dream coming to an end. He slowly slid back into his bed, breathing deeply. Who was Annie?

* * *

The next day Amumu was in a bad way. He couldn't stop coughing, the taste of blood covering the inside of his mouth. He wanted somebody to help him, but he feared he wouldn't last long enough for Aria to arrive. He tossed and turned, writhing in agony. This was the end, this was the day he died.

He didn't notice the door bursting open, or the cry of distress as someone ran up and gripped him by the shoulder. He opened his eyes, just able to make out the soft features of Aria. He felt something flowing through him, and he felt some strength returning.

"No, you can't die Amumu! We can't lose two princes in one day!" Amumu registered what that meant; his brother was dead. If he weren't in so much pain he probably would have wept for his loss, but that was not his biggest concern. Soon he would be dead too, and Shurima would be left leaderless. But this was not what he felt. Slowly his strength began to return to him, and he found the pain subsiding. In fact, he felt better than he had felt in some time. He sat up, looking at his hands in disbelief.

"I can't lose you…" Amumu looked across at Aria, and instantly wished he'd died right then. The magic she used to protect herself, the reason she was able to guard herself from the disease, had vanished. She stood there, tears streaking down her face as she pleaded for Amumu to live. It was then Amumu realised he was still holding her hand, pulling away too late. Amumu realised what had happened, what Aria had done for him. He would live, be given the chance to rule Shurima. But the cost was Aria's life.

He instantly stood up, his body instantly restored to its typical strength. He felt his magic manifesting around him, easily twice as powerful as it had been before. He reached out and gripped Aria, turning her chin up so he could look into her eyes. She wasn't surprised to see him standing, she'd known what she was doing. She had sacrificed herself for him. Amumu felt tears coming to his eyes as he watched her.

"Why? Why would you do this?" Aria wrapped her arms around his neck, weeping into the crook of his neck.

"My life is worth a hundred of yours. You deserve to live, to lead Shurima to greatness. If I were to deny you that I'd never forgive myself."

"And if you die I'll never forgive myself! You can't do this, I won't let you!" Amumu picked her up, taking Aria into his arms and bolting out the room. He didn't know where he was going, just that he had to do something to save her. Numerous heads turned as Amumu passed themm, the prince turned king not having been seen by anyone other than Aria for more than a year. Guards tried to stop him before realising who it was, standing down immediately and bowing deeply, confusion wrought upon their faces. Amumu bolted out of the palace and towards the servant's building, bursting in completely unannounced. The servant's completely stunned, fell to the ground in respect, but Amumu paid them no mind. He just started screaming, begging to be taken to Aria's grandmother. An elderly lady rushed up, pulling Aria out of Amumu's arms and rushing her out back. Amumu followed desperately, assuming the woman was the grandmother. Aria was laid on a bed, Amumu crouching down beside her and gripping her hand.

"What did she do my lord?" Amumu sniffled, trying to stop his tears so he could respond.

"She gave me her magic, to protect me. I should be dead, she saved me." The woman shook her head, moving over and putting a hand on Aria's head. The young girl took the woman's hand, smiling up at her grandmother. She looked fine, but Amumu knew better.

"You silly girl Aria, I told you not to."

"I had to Gran, he was going to die."

"And that is fate, you shouldn't interfere." Amumu was taken aback, looking at the grandmother accusingly.

"You told her how to do this?" The grandmother was unfazed by the accusation, glaring at the young prince.

"She was a mage with great potential, I wasn't going to deny her wisdom."

"You got her killed!"

"No my young king, you did that." Amumu felt his heart drop in his chest, a new sort of pain erupting through his chest. He turned to Aria, the young girl offering him a warm smile. He leant over and wrapped his arms around her, holding her as close as he could.

"I'm sorry, so very sorry." Aria kissed him on the forehead.

"Don't be. I'm happy Amumu, that's what matters." The grandmother came over carrying a steaming liquid.

"Drink up dear, it will help." The grandmother looked into the girl's eyes, something passing between them. Aria took the drink and sculled it, tears filling her eyes. She looked across at Amumu, gently tracing his cheek.

"Goodbye Amumu." Aria smiled, her eyes slowly drifting shut. It took Amumu a moment to realise what was happening, almost wanting to be sick when he realised. He looked at the grandmother, disgust written upon his face.

"You poisoned her!" The grandmother shrugged.

"She knew. It was better than a slow and painful death from the plague."

"You killed her! I could have saved her and you killed her!" The grandmother scoffed, pulling the sheets of the bed up over Aria's lifeless body.

"You could not save her, to wish her a slow and painful death is an insult to what she did for you." Amumu was furious, storming to his feet, his magic practically storming off his body.

"I'll have your head for this witch." The grandmother only laughed, not at all worried about the king's threat.

"No you won't dear. You cost my granddaughter her life, and while she did so with honour in her heart, I will not let that go unavenged. You will get the life she wanted for you, and I will make sure it lasts a long time. But you will never again feel the love she offered you. You owe her that." The woman took a step closer to Amumu, the king taking a step back.

"You can rule, but your subjects will never like you. You can seek friends but they will all turn away in horror. That is the curse that comes with your gift. You cost my daughter her life, and until you repay that cost you may as well be dead." The woman threw her hands at Amumu, the king screaming as he felt his magic flare up around him. He felt something wrapping around his limbs, astonished to see green bandages wrapping themselves around him.

"And us Shurimans have a way to mark our dead." Amumu screamed, the sound muffled by a bandage wrapping right across his face. The grandmother reached over the bed, picking up Arias body. She spared the cursed king one last look before leaving, Aria's body in hand. Amumu just made out the sorrowful cries of servants seeing the young girl's body before his vision went black, the curse greeting him for the first of many times.

* * *

The darkness was overwhelming. For some time it had talked to him, whispering about his failures and shortcomings. They'd talked about Aria and his old life for some time, but eventually grew bored of that and made up stories, Amumu soon unsure as to what was real and what was false. Eventually it grew bored of that too and turned to silence, Amumu left to think in the darkness. If anything was happening to his body he didn't know it, all he knew was sadness. He took to weeping, a never-ending flow of tears streaming down his face. It was reassuring in a way; at least he could feel the cool liquid on his cheeks.

"There's no need to cry my lord, everything is ok." Amumu turned around, suddenly able to sense his body. He was back in the palace, this time in the giant hall that served as a throne room. The warm Shuriman sun flowed through the window, heating his skin. He ran his hand along it, wondering what had happened to the bandages. Before him stood a glowing figure, a familiar young girl in a flowing white dress, the fabric seeming to pick up and reflect the sunlight.

"You're dead." Aria walked towards Amumu, looping her arm through his and leading him down the hall away from the golden throne. Amumu noticed he was wearing what was typically royal dress, reserved for the king. He couldn't remember having worn it himself, but it did seem to suit him.

"I am." Aria led him out of the hall and through the palace. It was odd to see it so deserted, but Amumu figured that it was hardly the weirdest thing. He was walking arm-in-arm with a girl he knew to be dead after all.

"Why am I here?" The girl chuckled, offering a beautiful smile.

"Well, obviously you are dead too." Amumu nodded, figuring this was probably the case.

"Did your magic finally run out?" Aria shook her head.

"No, this was Soraka's doing I'm afraid." Amumu frowned, the name not entirely familiar to him.

"Soraka?" Aria nodded, unsurprised by Amumu's confusion. She gripped his arm a little tighter, stopping in her tracks.

"You need to remember Amumu." She unlinked their arms, running a hand over Amumu's cheek.

"I fear I can't see you for long. Annie needs you, and I have no doubt you'll return for her soon enough." Amumu grabbed her hand and pulled her in for a long, passionate kiss. When he pulled away it wasn't Aria, it was Annie, wearing the same beautiful dress she'd had in Piltover. Everything slowly began to come back to him, the festival they were attending, the kiss they'd shared in Noxus, the dinner in Piltover. He remembered Ionia, the betrayal he'd felt seeing Annie with the other boy, the fight at the inn, and Annie being dragged into the temple, forced to say a final goodbye. He stepped away, gasping for breath as everything rushed back. He remembered the Institute, the battles he'd fought, the friends he'd made. He even remembered further back, the opening of his tomb, the fall of Shurima. He even could remember quite vividly his family, the days prior to his disease, and every visit he'd ever shared with Aria. Millennia of history came back to him in a matter of seconds, and he was left in shock. He was brought back to the moment by a soft hand on his cheek.

"Now you remember." Amumu looked up at Aria, not sure what to say. He'd gone so long with only half a memory, and now he was whole. For the first time ever he was whole. It was a lot to take in, too much almost.

"Why am I seeing all this?" Aria frowned, as though Amumu's question confused her.

"This is the price you must pay for your life." Amumu shook his head.

"This isn't a price, I've always wanted my memories back." Aria nodded.

"And thus you have received them. You get to remember how your family line ended with you, how I let myself die to save you, how my grandmother cursed you. Your price is that you have to live with that, and make up for all the pain that has happened around you."

"That seems like a small price to pay."

"You won't be saying that if you have to live with Annie's blood on your hands. You want to regain your life, and so the cost is the burdens that lost you that life before. I don't know how else to put it." Amumu nodded, feeling as though he was beginning to understand. He looked at Aria, marvelling at how beautiful she was.

"You aren't real, are you?" Aria looked hurt.

"Why would you say that?" Amumu motioned around him at the palace, a palace he knew didn't even exist nowadays.

"This was a test of worth, you showed me the burdens I have to take up. I'm not really dead, which means you aren't really here." Aria stepped closer, letting Amumu run his eyes over her.

"I'm as real as you are. Part of me will always be with you, the same part of me I gave to you all those years ago to save you. I may not be alive, but I am definitely real." Aria lightly used her fingers to close Amumu's eyes, the world being thrown into darkness. He felt her breath next to his ear, the lightest tingling of moisture on his lobe.

"Now go save her."

* * *

Amumu's eyes shot open, suddenly completely aware of where he was. He got up, grimacing a little at the pain in his back. Next to him laid the body of Soraka, the healer fast asleep, clearly spent from the expenditure of her magic. Amumu's hand made its way to his chest, clawing through his bandages until he could feel it. A heartbeat, his very own heartbeat. From the distance came a roar, a pillar of fire soaring into the air. The dragon could wait however, Amumu turning to the entrance to the temple. Where he'd expected the large stone slab to still be blocking his path there was now an open path, the faintest breeze coming out of the entrance. It fluctuated, as though the breath of some hidden beast. Amumu looked down at his hands, watching as the first of his bandages began to fall away. As a test he flicked his hands forward, smiling as the smallest flicker of gold came off with a collection of burnt, crumbling bandages.

"I'm coming Annie." Steeling his nerves he made his way into the temple, ready to face his rival once and for all.

* * *

 **Somebody really needs to deal with that dragon... *wink***


	22. Chapter 22

**Hehe, hi, it's me. I promise that I will start a chapter without apologising eventually, just as soon as I keep my word to you guys.**

 **Fridays are supposed to be my update day, but I've been so up and down on my stories that I haven't posted anything in ages. I'm sorry about that, and I do intend to change it, starting right now.**

 **Enjoy this chapter, the more important one is probably the one after this, but this one was so much fun to write I had to put it in (wasn't going to originally).**

* * *

Chapter 22 - Roar

Akali and Shen weren't sure how to sum up how they felt about the situation they were stuck in. On the one hand, they knew that Amumu and Annie were in danger and had to find them as soon as possible. Sadly however, they weren't entirely sure where to find them. On the other hand, there was a pretty big sign telling them where the couple probably were, but that was probably its own problem. They hadn't had to travel far out of the city to notice the large pillars of fire reaching up to the sky, illuminating everything around them. It was an odd phenomenon to witness from a distance, after all fire doesn't naturally act like that, but as they got closer things slowly became a little more clear. Neither Akali nor Shen had any idea where the dragon had come from, and although it was true that you could still find dragons living in the highlands of Ionia, a dragon of this size certainly hadn't come from there. That and it seemed to be made of pure fire, which was definitely not normal for dragons.

Akali's jaw almost hit the floor when they first caught sight of the beast, not sure what to make of it. She turned to Shen, but the ninja looked as stalwart as always, as though he hadn't noticed or didn't really care about the giant flaming dragon in front of them.

"Umm, you and I are seeing the same thing right?"

"It's a dragon, we slay these things almost three times a match. Are you scared?" Akali turned to her partner, throwing her arms in the air in an attempt to point out the dragon's size.

"It's on fire! Also, in case you haven't noticed, it's also about five times the size! Oh, and it's on fire, did I mention it's on fire?!" Shen could only laugh at Akali's outburst, but the assassin couldn't possibly see what he found so funny. She took a deep breath, entering the state she needed before jumping into combat.

"I don't think I'll be able to get close enough to hit it without burning myself."  
"I should be able to hit it, but if I stay around too long it may not end well. Its head is the real threat, this creature has no need for more fire, it may just try to eat us." Akali gulped, the idea of being swallowed by an aflame dragon not appealing in the slightest. She went over each point of the dragon's form with a trained eye, looking for any weakness. To be honest, the more she looked at it the harder it got, its entire being glowing a horrible orange. There hardly looked to be much flesh to cut, but as is the way of the world…

"There, the neck, can you see the fluctuations?" Shen took a closer look at what Akali had pointed out. She was right, the fire seemed to flicker ever so slightly, emanating from that point. There wasn't any flesh to speak of, but it was the closest thing to a heart they figured they were going to get. Not that it made a difference if they couldn't actually hit it.

"Think your spirit blade will do the trick?" Shen drew his blade and swung it in his hand, considering the question. He nodded to himself.

"Looks to be more spiritual than mortal, may be our best shot. You want to be the distraction?" Akali let out a nervous laugh, reaching the same conclusion. She couldn't damage it, so she had to contribute another way. With a nod of her head the pair were off, making their way into the clearing. The dragon was too busy setting fire to the grass and trees to notice the diminutive pair sneaking up behind it. It spotted Akali first, giant flaming maw pivoting in moments at the thought of a meal. Akali however was not about to let herself be eaten, and in the blink of an eye she was out of the way, the dragon turning its head confused. It was a slow and awkward motion, which one would expect given its size. Akali made a note of this; slow to react. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Shen sneaking up on the dragon, spirit blade drawn as he lined up the perfect dash. The dragon turned for Akali again, opening up an opportunity for Shen who dashed forward and slashed his blade across the exposed neck. Their was the sound of metal on metal, and the dragon roared as it threw its head back, Shen being thrown to the ground. He recovered quickly, staring down the dragon now.

"It's spiritual alright, but its hide is too strong for my blade to pierce." The dragon took a bite at Shen who dodged beneath its legs, confusing the beast as he regrouped with Akali.

"What to we do now then?" Shen was silent for a moment as he thought, thankful the dragon clearly wasn't bright enough to figure out where he'd gone.

"If I had time I could probably work away at its hide, but that would take far too long." Akali's eyes lit up, an idea coming to mind.

"Most animals have weaker flesh around their Achilles tendon, if you can cut that we may be able to immobilise it." Shen nodded his head in understanding, but he wasn't entirely convinced.

"This isn't a normal beast, the flesh may just be as tough there." The dragon's head finally turned to check behind it, noticing the two discussing strategy. Akali smiled to herself.

"Well, I don't think it's about to outsmart us, so we'll come up with something else." With that she was off, again distracting the dragons which plodded along clumsily behind her, SHen taking the opportunity to reposition. He needed it to stop moving, otherwise he wouldn't be able to get a clean cut.

"Akali, I need…" The dragon was quicker however, and the moment it heard Shen's voice its tail had come crashing down, knocking the ninja aside and turning on the now prone target.

"Shen!" Akali turned and ran towards the ninja, but in her panic she hadn't noticed the dragon change targets again. She wasn't sure what hurt more, the impact of the paw on her chest or the burning sensation as the fire spread up her clothes. She gasped as her burned flesh scraped along the ground, eyes flickering as she teetered on the verge on consciousness. Shen, although still sore from the impact, saw the opportunity presented. He dashed towards the beast's hind leg as fast as he could, relishing in the ease with which his blade slipped through the soft flesh of the dragon's ankle. The beast roared in pain as it stumbled to the side, Shen desperately diving to get out of the way of the hulking mass. The dragon recovered, balancing its immense weight on its three good legs. The plan had worked, but now Shen was out of a distraction, and he couldn't very well go and check on Akali without opening himself up to being attacked. The dragon had proven faster than they'd given it credit for.

There was a roar, Shen dashing to the side on the expectation of fire, but as he recovered all he saw was a very confused dragon, clearly not the source of the roar. The sound of footsteps could be heard behind Shen, heavy strides getting louder and louder, closer and closer. Shen got the message and ducked, eyes wide in awe as a large brown object went flying overhead, colliding with the dragon's head and causing the beast to stumble backwards. The projectile fell to the ground, only to pick itself up on it's two hind legs and roar at the dragon, fury evident in the beast's glowing eyes.

"Tibbers?" The bear showed no recognition of the voice, his mind too set on one goal; kill the thing that attacked his Annie. The beast wasn't completely ignorant to those around him, he'd been on the rift enough times himself to recognise who he knew as the aptly named tanky-ninja and dashy-ninja. Sometimes they were friends and other times enemies, which confused the bear a little, but he wasn't known to dwell on such philosophical matters. He preferred a simpler way of life, that is hit whatever Annie wanted him to hit, and if that thing hit Annie, he hit it harder. Needless to say he had one hell of a swing lined up for the dragon.

Shen obviously knew none of this, but here's what he did know; the dragon was hurt. The beast was flinging its head around, roaring in agony as flames seemed to drip off his face as though a liquid. Whatever Tibbers had done, it had managed to pierce the dragon's hide. While the dragon was distracted with his new opponent Shen rushed over to check on Akali, practically ripping her shirt off to get a better look at how burnt she was. He blushed a little at his actions, but it wasn't really anything he hadn't done before, although never under such circumstances. Akali groaned at the action, Shen breathing a sigh of relief as he found out she was still conscious.

"The dragon…" Shen had been making sure to keep an eye on the creature in the corner of his eyes and, well, he wasn't entirely sure what was happening. The dragon was flailing its head around wildly as Tibbers seemed to try and dig his teeth into the fiery maw, only to eventually be flung off, at which point he would fling himself back up and try again. Shen couldn't contain a smile.

"It's preoccupied, are you stable? Finding it hard to breath?" Akali shook her head.

"I'm fine, go kill the bastard for me." Shen nodded and turned to the fight, not entirely sure where to begin. The beast was flailing around too much for Shen to safely have a go at its ankles, even with Tibbers providing a distraction. Just as that thought crossed his mind, the dragon struck back. Tibbers leapt forward again, but the dragon recovered quicker this time and managed to turn its head, teeth sinking into the bears left arm. The bear collapsed to the floor dragging itself back on its three working limbs. Shen dashed over to the bear, helping it to its feet. It was odd for him, helping the giant bear, but he knew his best and probably only hope of beating this dragon now was with the bear. The dragon roared, fire beginning to flicker out of its mouth as Shen went to dash. Tibbers however was quicker, wrapping the ninja up on its arms and shielding him from the fire. Never before had Shen been so happy to receive a bear hug.

The torrent seemed endless, but Tibbers seemed unfazed by the heat. An idea began to form in Shen's mind, the ninja looking up into the bear's eyes. Was he really about to discuss his strategy with Tibbers?

"You need to go for its throat. I can give you a window, you need to take it." He said the words slowly and carefully, not even sure if it made a difference. The bear snorted, Shen hoping that meant it understood. In actuality the snort was one of annoyance, who was this ninja to talk to him like he was a simpleton? He put aside the frustration however, tanky-ninja's plan may just work. The fire eventually stopped, Tibbers practically throwing Shen aside as he turned back towards the dragon. He'd consider that his revenge. Shen recovered quickly, not wasting any time. The dragon seemed to be in the middle of figuring out why his targets weren't piles of ash, and that was all the opportunity he needed. He wasn't expecting to actually be able to get a good hit on the beast's ankles, but if the dragon was too busy trying to see beneath its legs there would be one very exposed body part; its neck. He went for the other hind leg, by far the safest target given the dragon's inability to use its next closest appendage. The heat was intense, but it didn't slow him down, He barely managed to get the tip of his blade to the flesh before the dragon repositioned, Shen ducking so as not to be hit by the low-hanging abdomen. He dashed towards the front legs now, hoping to get the dragon to stumble in its attempt to reposition. The dragon however took a more simple approach, lowering its body to the ground in attempt to crush the ninja. Shen dashed forward, arriving just in front of the dragon's front legs, the beast's head directly above him, staring at him with an unquestionable fury in its eyes. Fire began licking at the creature's jaw, another torrent of fire on the way. Shen could dash away, but as long as the dragon was looking down at him, neck craned for a better view, it was vulnerable, and Tibbers was not one to miss his window. Unlike Shen's blade, Tibbers teeth sank into the creature's neck with ease, the bear digging in with his claws as well so he wouldn't slip as he bit chunk after chunk off the dragon's neck. The beast stumbled, legs giving way as it fell to the side, Tibber's jumping off just in time to watch the beast's head hit the ground hard, fire slowly going out over the creature's body. Tibbers took a step towards the downed head, the dragon's breathing slow and uneven. With one mighty swing from the bear's good arm the breathing stopped, the body beginning to turn to ash where it lay. Tibber's made his way over to Shen, the ninja heading back over to tend to Akali. Shen looked up at Tibbers, the bear offering a grunt before he began to shrink, soon leaving nothing but a small brown plush, covered in patches in classic Tibber's style. Shen picked up the doll and offered it to Akali, who had witnessed the end of the conflict from where she lay.

"Do you think Annie would let him join the Kinkou?" Shen raised an eyebrow at Akali's question.

"Didn't realise giant flaming bear ninjas was your thing." Akali chuckled, even though it evidently hurt her a little.

"If they can kill dragon's like that, I don't care what they are."

"I agree." The pair turned to see the newcomer, Shen breathing a huge sigh of relief.

"Soraka, think you could tend to some burns." The healer looked a little doubtful, but she stepped up and used her magic nonetheless, the simple task causing her head to spin however, Shen noticing immediately as he steadied her.

"What happened to you?" Soraka's face turned grim.

"Annie and Amumu." Akali sat up at that.

"Where are they? Are they ok?" In the distance there was a loud crack, the sound echoing through the forest. The trio all looked at each other before they set off towards the source, Akali safely within Shen's arms.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23 - The Razor's Edge

Planning. Unsurprisingly, that was the essence of a good plan. So why was it that, in spite of years of careful, methodical, intricate planning everything seemed to go wrong at every damn turn? He had Annie, sure, he could tick that of the list of a million steps he had to fulfil. He'd got the temple open, yet another step done, one he had expected to be far more difficult than it had proven to be. Ah well, he'd take a win; he was running short of those nowadays. What annoyed him the most was the damn mummy. He'd expected Annie to have friends, but he'd been expecting to deal with them with similar ease as to how he dealt with the warrior Yasuo. That stupid, good for nothing mummy however proved to be a recurring thorn in his side, and even though he'd finally managed to escape his persistence, he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd have to deal with him again before this was all over. He smiled to himself; the next time they met he'd have a much easier time defeating him. Planning, that was the key to greatness.

Annie however lacked this calm confidence, allowing herself to be half led, half dragged through the gradually descending corridors of the temple, trying not to think of what was to come. It wasn't that hard, the image of Amumu was quite easily dominating her thoughts. She'd cried as much as her body would allow her, and now she could do little but resign herself to nonexistence. She would soon be dead, as would all her loved ones, and she was completely out of ways to fight it. She hoped that her friends, no matter where they were, had found some happiness in these last days. She wondered if Lulu and Veigar had actually come to Ionia, if she had convinced the cold-hearted yordle to lighten up. She wondered if Shyvana and Jarvan were still as blissful as they had been the day she'd left Demacia. Was Lucian still passing out drunk in Vayne's arms? Were the two Crownguards content with their respective affairs? She felt something tug at her heart as she thought of Riven, having Yasuo taken from her. At least her pain wouldn't be long lived.

The corridor gradually opened up, the lighting slowly picking up until they stood in what appeared to be a large ritual chamber of sorts. Torches littered the walls to keep the room bright, although most of the illumination came from the back of the room, the source of the light yet unseen by Annie. The boy led her forward still, Annie finally able to see what appeared to be an altar of sorts at the far end of the room. The boys pace had slowed, and he was lightly chuckling to himself. He was proud, he'd waited so long for this, and now his dreams were to become a reality. He couldn't resist the urge to gloat a little.

"It's quite beautiful isn't it? A lot worse sites could be your last, I hope you realise that." Annie was deathly silent, too weak to even acknowledge his words, a fact the boy did not take kindly too. He yanked her head up by her hair, Annie not so much as grimacing as she was forced to look into the boy's eyes.

"Death is no reason for you to lose your respect." He moved her head so she was forced to look at the peculiar stone altar at the end of the room.

"At the beginning of time people would sacrifice innocent souls in this temple on a daily basis, always seeking to gain a little bit of what they had. Some wanted physical strength, others knowledge and secrets. It was a part of everyday life, and now it lies here unused. You agree it's a waste, don't you?" Still no response, the boy gripping Annie by the throat and leading her over to the altar, and past it. Now Annie could see what illuminated the room so well, for on the far side of the room was a pit deeper than Annie had ever seen, and lining the walls was a horrible inferno, seemingly burning from nothing but with enough heat to cause Annie to close her eyes for fear of them turning to ash. Anything, or more distressingly anyone, who fell in there was going to burn up well before they had the chance to see what the bottom looked like. Not that dying to the fire was anything to worry about, more concerning was how the boy was draining what little of her energy she had left, her eye lids growing tired and slowly falling shut. She couldn't fight it; she was too weak, too sleepy. All she wanted to do now was close her eyes.

"Step away from her." The boy practically threw Annie's tiny body across the room, rounding on the intruder with an intense fury burning throughout his entire being. He didn't even stop to see whom it was, lashing out with a torrent of fire, hoping to simply incinerate whatever pest would interrupt him at this pivotal moment. The blinding blaze cleared to reveal a young boy, surely no older than himself, standing amidst the charred stones completely untouched by the inferno from a few moments earlier. The newcomer looked over towards Annie, clenching his fists as he did so.

"Is she dead?"

"What does it matter?! You all will be soon enough, so can you please just die!" The boy let out a guttural cry as he tried once again to kill the newcomer, but this time he was caught off guard as the other boy managed to close the distance between them, the two now tussling with each other with their faces mere millimetres apart. The intruder wasn't familiar to the boy, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he knew him from somewhere. The black hair and youthful complexion could be typical of anyone his age, but those eyes. Realisation began to dawn on the boy.

"Amumu? My god, you have got to be the most infuriating little…" Before he could even finish Amumu threw his fist into the boy's chest, sending his counterpart staggering back as he tried to catch his breath. Amumu didn't wait for him to recover, rushing over to Annie and checking her over. Lots of scratches, bruises, burns and other assorted markings, but her breathing was steady if not a little raspy. He gently laid her back down and turned to the boy, the latter now recovered and wiping a small trickle of blood from his lower lip. The two looked each other over, weighing up their opposition, determining their available moves and their odds of each working. The boy moved first, the whole room beginning to heat up as fire began to make its way across the floor towards Amumu, who took the opportunity to close some of the distance between them. It was hard going, Amumu feeling as though he were rushing headlong into a storm, an unseen gale pushing against him at every point. He felt the first traces of fire licking at his legs, glad to feel that his magic was dampening the impact, not that he intended to rely on that for too long. He could barely make out his adversary through the intense light the fires were causing, but that was enough for him to reach out with his magic, wrapping layers upon layers of arcane energy around his target, the fires slowly dying away as the boy tried instead to escape from his binds. With a scream, Amumu sent himself flying towards the boy, tackling him to the ground as the two rolled across the floor, each trying to physically overpower the other. A pain shot up Amumu's lower body as he felt a knee collide with his nether region, all air being instantly lost from his lungs. The boy rolled on top of Amumu, a smirk crossing his face.

"Checkmate." The boy reached out, laying his palm across Amumu's cheek. There was a moment of extended silence, Amumu waiting for whatever was coming. Yet once the moment ended the boy simply laughed, Amumu feeling no different as a result. The boy burst into a hysterical cackle, the room being filled with the horrible sound. Amumu took a staggered step back, finally managing to regain his lost breath.

"It wouldn't let me." Amumu looked up at the boy, a smile plastered across the lunatics face as he rambled quietly to himself. Then he met Amumu's eyes, horrible bloodshot orbs that had little trace of sanity remaining.

"Why wouldn't it let me!?" The boy took a step forward and gripped Amumu by the cheeks, waiting desperately for something to happen. Amumu however was not so defenceless this time, and instead of waiting for the boy's failure, he retaliated himself. Reaching up he gripped the boy's arm by the wrist, and instantly his enemy's face paled. A golden aura engulfed the two, streams of magic flowing between their bodies at the contact. Amumu felt the boys grip weaken, but he did not let up, standing his ground as the boy turned frail and weak, collapsing to the ground. Tears filled his eyes, and soon he was screaming, writhing in agony, begging for the torture to stop. His other hand reached up to his head, clawing at his face as though trying to tear something out through his skin.

Only when the boys voice gave out, his screams little more than raspy moans, did Amumu release his grip. The boy collapsed, taking deep breaths. Amumu turned away from the pathetic scene, heading over to Annie. He had just lifted her into his arms when the boy spoke once more.

"So much sadness." The boy was attempting to crawl towards the altar, his arms and legs finally seeming to be under his control. Amumu didn't even have the capacity to pity the sight.

"Now you know what you caused." The boy laughed at this, the act causing him to cough, but not stop. Amumu felt his fists clenching; that noise would give him nightmares for years.

"My fault? You fool…" The boy stopped, body being wracked by another coughing fit.

"I saw an entire city brought to its knees in sadness, a civilisation struck down long before I had my first breath. I watched as one by one they turned on each other, lost without the guidance of their ruler, a ruler which in his foolishness had doomed the state." Amumu gently put Annie on the ground, walking over to the boy who was still talking between giggles.

"I heard their screams; Aria, Annie, all the ones you've ever hurt. You doomed so many, and for what? Your goals weren't even anything as grand as power or respect. No, you did it because you were alone, always have been, and always will be. You would doom a million souls for the life of the one that would accept you. How is that any worse than what I am doing? At least I have ambition, a comparable fucking reward!" Another coughing fit, blood spilling out over the floor at Amumu's feet, rage beginning to grip the youth.

"You'll have to forgive me if I don't take moral advice from you." The boy burst into laughter, gripping his side but refusing to stop the noise. Even as he struggled out his next few words, the laughing continued.

"You are a monster Amumu, a liar and a butcher, a threat to all who would call this world home. So don't try to act like you have some moral high ground, because when push comes to shove…" The boy stopped laughing, smiling to himself as he finally looked up at Amumu, the Shuriman ending up looming over the frail body that was now leaning against the altar.

"You're just like me." Amumu lost it then, gripping the boy by the throat and lifting him into the air. He could see the rage emanating off him in ribbons of gold, each one flickering off into the air seeking a means of escape. Many latched themselves onto his defenceless captive, each strike causing the body to writhe in pain in his grip. He wanted to kill him, more than he'd wanted anything else in this world, and the boy deserved it too. He'd killed Yasuo, almost killed Annie, Soraka, the list stretched on and on. But something stopped him, the feeling of something, or the memory of something, sending chills down his spine every time he pictured the boy's body lying lifeless at his feet. Then he began to hear it, the whisperings in the back of his mind, the half-voices that would torment him day in and day out. Dark nothings crossed his mind, mutterings of death, pain and torture, Amumu's body beginning to shiver at the sensation. He felt himself losing control of his body as he took a step closer towards the ledge, his curse causing his mind to act of his own accord. It would be so easy now, all he had to do was let go and the frail body would topple off the edge into the inferno below, and that would be that. He could hear the cheers now, egging him on as he felt his fingers loosen his grip.

And then they were gone. Just like that he felt the voice disappear, a sense of clarity passing over him as he tightened his grip on the boys throat, refusing to drop him. He felt a tug at the back of his mind, as though something were being forcefully pulled out of his head, and then suddenly even that sensation was gone. Left in his place were memories, a thousand smiles and laughs, each he'd shared with people over his immense lifetime but never seemed to recall. He found himself smiling in spite of the situation, and in his new state simply dropped the boy, letting the body fall onto the stone floor not one inch from the edge that a few moments earlier would have spelt his death. He turned, heading back towards Annie, gently lifting her up while smiling to himself. His opponent was speechless, seemingly rendered silent for the first time since their meeting. He pulled himself to his feet slowly, a grimace stretching across his face as he watched Amumu and Annie make their way towards the exit. He went to take a step forward, only to find himself stumbling back, as though some invisible force had come flying into his chest, although whether it were magic or his imagination he could not tell. He didn't have time to scream as he slipped, his form disappearing in silence over the edge, the whole spectacle rather benign given everything else that had happened. Amumu watched the whole thing, his smile never leaving his face as he breathed a long, deep sigh of relief. As if on cue he felt the mass that was Annie shift in his arms, slowly opening an eye and looking up at him. Amumu had expected confusion; she had never seen him this way after all. Instead there was only relief, a sense of ease visibly flowing through her limbs as her joints unwound.

"What did you do to yourself silly?" A few coughs escaped the exhausted amge before she continued.

"You could have died." Amumu smiled, leaning over and, as gently as he'd ever done anything else in his life, placed a chaste kiss upon her lips, a fleeting contact that would stick with them for an eternity.

"If anything had happened to you, I might as well have." He gently brushed a piece of scorched her out of her eyes.

"I love you." Annie wrapped her arms around Amumu's neck, pulling herself up and burying her face in the crook of his neck as he carried her out of the temple and into the sunlight, whispering softly into his ear as he did.

"I love you too."

* * *

 **And so the psycho dies, and in his wake blooms a new love. I'm so close to finishing part two of the Heartseekers, expect one more chapter soon for this part and then we are onto the thrilling home run.**

 **Please RFF as always!**


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